Discussion guide for the ministerial round tables to be held under the priority theme “Challenges and opportunities in achieving gender equality and the empowerment of rural women and girls”

In accordance with the multi-year programme of work of the Commission, as contained in Economic and Social Council resolution 2016/3, the Commission will consider “Challenges and opportunities in achieving gender equality and the empowerment of rural women and girls” as its priority theme for the sixty-second session, to be held from 12 to 23 March 2018. Further to that decision, it is proposed that, at that session, the Commission hold ministerial round tables to provide ministers with opportunities for high-level engagement on key issues arising under the priority theme.

Under the priority theme “Challenges and opportunities in achieving gender equality and the empowerment of rural women and girls”, the Commission will hold four ministerial round tables, to be held in two parallel meetings on the following topics:

(a) Good practices in the empowerment of rural women and girls, including through access to education, infrastructure and technology, food security and nutrition;

(b) Good practices in the empowerment of rural women and girls, including through the prevention of gender-based violence and the promotion of access to justice, social services and health care. 

The ministerial round tables should focus on the exchange of experiences, lessons learned and good practices in relation to the proposed topics. Ministers will be encouraged to look ahead towards realizing gender equality and the empowerment of rural women and girls and to realizing their rights to an adequate standard of living, a life free of violence and harmful practices, land and productive assets, food security and nutrition, education and health care. Ministers will be encouraged to highlight the steps and measures that are necessary and planned in order to ensure that national responses effectively contribute to the achievement of gender equality and the empowerment of rural women and girls and to the full, effective and accelerated implementation of the Beijing Declaration and Platform for Action, so that no rural woman or girl is left behind.