Open Working Group discusses promoting equality, including social equity, gender equality and women’s empowerment No 5

Co-Chairs’ Summary bullet points on gender equality and sexual and reproductive health and rights 

The Co-Chairs presented a number of bullet points that referred to gender equality and sexual and reproductive health and rights in their Summary at the end of OWG-8. These are:

• Gender equality was affirmed as an end in itself and as an essential means for sustainable development and poverty eradication. There can be no sustainable development without gender equality and the full participation of women and girls. Gender inequality is the most pervasive form of inequality in the world.
• There was widespread support for a stand-alone goal on gender equality, supplemented by cross-cutting targets under other goals.
• Gender equality, women’s rights, and women’s empowerment in the SDGs must be aligned with CEDAW, the Beijing Platform for Action, the ICPD, and the Rio+20 outcome document.
• Many expressed broad support for a number of priority actions, including preventing and eliminating all forms of violence against women and girls: empowering women legally and economically; and strengthening women’s voice, participation in decision-making and leadership in all areas of life.
• The recognition, reduction and redistribution of unpaid care and domestic work, disproportionately borne by women and girls, was also recognized as an area for action.
• Many of you referred to the need to respect and fulfill the sexual and reproductive health and rights of all individuals, including access to sexual and reproductive health information, education and services. Others referred to the need to be consistent in this regard with the ICPD agreement.