UN’S blueprint to end women’s poverty

SIR: Globally, 10.3 per cent of women live in extreme poverty today, according to the report presented by the United Nations ( UN) Secretary- General to the Commission on the Status of Women ( CSW), and progress towards ending poverty needs to be 26 times faster to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals by 2030.

During the 68th Session of the CSW68, the largest UN gathering on gender equality, which recently held in New York for two weeks to discuss progress, identify challenges, set policies and also set global standards on gender equality and the rights of women and girls, there was robust commitments by UN Member States to strengthen financing and institutions to eradicate women’s and girls’ poverty.

During the session, the Commission also adopted a resolution on HIV- AIDS led by the Southern Africa Development Community ( SADC), which calls to increase investment in gender equality and the empowerment of all women and girls in the HIV- AIDS response.

The outcome document ( or Agreed Conclusions) recognises that women and girls living in poverty become ‘ shock absorbers’ in times of crisis, and that further efforts are needed to increase resources to address women’s and girls’ poverty.

Acknowledging that the international financial architecture is not fit for a crisis- prone world, the Commission called for reforms to enable countries to mobilise and invest resources in gender equality.

These measures include debt relief and progressive taxation and ensuring that public resources are allocated to address the needs and rights of women and girls.

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Dr Jumai Ahmadu is Acting Director, Reform Coordination and Service Improvement Department, Federal Capital Territory Area ( FCTA), and Founder, Helpline Social Support Initiative, Abuja.