4 December 1981

Comprehensive outline of a world survey on the role of women in development

The General Assembly,

Recalling its resolutions 3201 (S-VI) and 3202 (S-VI) of 1 May 1974, containing the Declaration and the Programme of Action on the Establishment of a New International Economic Order, 3281 (XXIX) of 12 December 1974, containing the Charter of Economic Rights and Duties of States, and 3362 (S-VII) of 16 September 1975 on development and international economic co-operation,

Recalling also its resolution 35/56 of 5 December 1980, containing the International Development Strategy for the Third United Nations Development Decade,

Recalling further the relevant provisions concerning the participation of women in development of the documents adopted at the World Conference of the United Nations Decade for Women:

Equality, Development and Peace,

Recalling its resolution 35/78 of 5 December 1981 on the effective mobilization and integration of women in development, in which it, inter alia, called for the preparation of a comprehensive and detailed outline for an interdisciplinary and multisectoral world survey on the role of women in over-all development,

Bearing in mind the International Development Strategy for the Third United Nations Development Decade, in particular the special provisions relating to the integration of women in over-all development with a view to securing women's equal participation both as agents and as beneficiaries in all sectors and at all levels of the development process,

Taking note of the report of the Secretary-General on a comprehensive outline of a world survey on the role of women in development,

1. Emphasizes the need for a multisectoral and interdisciplinary survey on the role of women in development;

2. Recommends that the survey should analyse the role of women in relation to key developmental issues as envisaged in the International Development Strategy for the Third United Nations Development Decade, focusing in particular on trade, agriculture, industry, energy, money and finance, and science and technology;

3. Further recommends that, in its analysis, the survey should cover: (a) The present role of women as active agents of development in each sector; (b) An assessment of the benefits accruing to women as a result of their participation in development (that is, income, conditions of work, and decision-making); (c) Ways and means of improving women's role as agents and beneficiaries of development at the national, regional and international levels; (d) The potential impact of such improvements on the achievement of over-all development goals;

4. Invites the Secretary-General, in preparing the survey, to give due attention to the problems and requirements of women in every region and to the contribution of women to the achievement of goals of self-reliance and to economic and technical co-operation among developing countries;

5. Calls upon the Secretary-General to include in the survey an overview analysing interrelationships among key developmental issues as regards women's current and future roles in development with a view to providing a basis for future action for women's effective mobilization and integration in development;

6. Requests the Secretary-General to prepare the survey in close collaboration and co-operation with appropriate agencies of the United Nations system and with contributions from all organs and organizations concerned of the United Nations system, including the regional commissions and the United Nations International Research and Training Institute for the Advancement of Women, as well as national institutions having expertise on this subject;

7. Further requests the Secretary-General to submit a progress report on the preparation of the survey to the General Assembly at its thirty-seventh session and to submit the survey in its final form to the Assembly at its thirty-ninth session.