23 May 1986

19th plenary meeting

Role of women in society

The Economic and Social Council,

Reaffirming the validity of the objectives of the United Nations Decade for Women: Equality, Development and Peace,

Noting the importance of the documents adopted by the world conferences held during the Decade,

Convinced of the necessity to secure for all women full and effective enjoyment of the rights embodied in the Charter of the United Nations, the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women, the International Covenants on Human Rights and other pertinent instruments in this field,

Emphasizing that the achievement of equal and full participation of women in all spheres of activity is an integral part of the political, economic, social and cultural development of all countries,

Commending the expanding participation of women in political, economic, social and cultural life, and in the promotion of international peace and co-operation,

Convinced that the implementation of the Nairobi Forward-looking Strategies for the Advancement of Women should be among the developmental and policy priorities of Governments, United Nations organs, specialized agencies and intergovernmental and non-governmental organizations,

Bearing in mind that the promotion of the status of women in all its aspects and the complete integration of women in society go beyond the problem of legal equality and that deeper structural transformations of society and changes in current economic relations, as well as the elimination of traditional prejudices through education and the dissemination of information, are required to create conditions in which women may develop fully their intellectual and physical capacities and participate actively in the decision-making process related to their political, economic, social and cultural development,

Bearing in mind also that economic inequality, colonialism, racism, racial discrimination in all its forms, apartheid, aggression and interference in the internal affairs of other States, and violations of human rights and fundamental freedoms are obstacles to the active integration of women in all spheres of life,

Bearing in mind the resolution on equal opportunities and equal treatment for men and women in employment, adopted on 27 June 1985 by the International Labour Conference,

Reaffirming General Assembly resolution 40/101 of 13 December 1985, in which the Assembly stated its awareness of the necessity to enlarge the possibilities for both men and women to combine parental duties and household work with paid employment and social activities, that the role of women in child bearing should not be the cause of inequality and discrimination, and that child rearing demands shared responsibilities among women, men and society as a whole,

1. Recommends all Governments and international and non-governmental organizations to pay due attention in their activities to the role of women in society in all its interrelated aspects - as mothers, as participants in the economic development process, and as participants in all aspects of public life;

2. Reaffirms that the implementation of the Nairobi Forward-looking Strategies for the Advancement of Women should contribute to the elimination of all forms of inequality between women and men and to the integration of women in the development process, and should ensure the broad participation of women in the efforts to strengthen international peace and security;

3. Calls upon Member States to adopt necessary effective measures with a view to the implementation of the Forward-looking Strategies as a matter of priority, including the establishment or strengthening of appropriate mechanisms for the advancement of women and for the implementation of the Strategies, in order to ensure the full integration of women in the political, economic, social and cultural life of their countries;

4. Invites Member States to encourage such social and economic development as would ensure the equal participation of women in all spheres of work activity, equal pay for work of equal value, and equal opportunities for education and vocational training;

5. Appeals to Member States to promote conditions that would enable women to participate as equal partners with men in public and political life, in the decision-making process at all levels, and in the management of different spheres of life in society;

6. Urges Governments to recognize the special status and social importance of child bearing and child rearing and to take all necessary measures to encourage the support of parenthood, including paid maternity, parental and child-care leave, and to provide women with security for their jobs as long as necessary with a view to allowing them to fulfil their role as mothers without prejudice to their professional and public activities;

7. Appeals to Governments to promote the establishment of appropriate facilities for the care and education of children as a means of combining parenthood with economic, political, social, cultural and other activities, and thus to assist women towards full integration into their societies;

8. Requests the Secretary-General to pay due attention to the questions of the situation of women, their role in society and the progress achieved in the implementation of the Forward-looking Strategies when preparing future reports on the world social situation;

9. Requests the Secretary-General to pay due attention to all the interrelated aspects of the role of women in society when preparing surveys on the role of women in development;

10. Invites the Commission on the Status of Women to pay due attention to all aspects of the role of women in society in its consideration of the question of women and development.