1. Develop economic policies and development strategies that address the needs of poor women.

STRATEGIC OBJECTIVES:

Everyone is entitled to economic, social and cultural rights that allow them dignity and freedom to develop as individuals. UDHR 22; CEDAW 11:1e; ICERD 5e; CRC 27

You have the right to an adequate standard of living for yourself and your family, including food, clothing, housing and medical care. ICESCR 11; CEDAW 14:2h; ICERD 5e:iii; CRC 27:1

You have the right to adequate housing. UDHR 25:1; ICESCR 11:1; CEDAW 14:2h; ICESR GC 4,7

National policies should encourage rural workers' organizations to ensure participation in economic and social development, without any discrimination. RWC 4

States must take measures to eradicate gender discrimination that threatens women's right to adequate housing, land and property. WRAH

You have the right to social security. UDHR 22; ICESCR 9; CEDAW 11:1e,14c,13a; ICERD 5e:iv; CRC 26

You have the right to social services and security in the event of sickness, old age or other circumstances, including child-care for working parents. UDHR 25; CEDAW 11:2c; ICERD 5e:iv; CRC 18:2,3

Women's unpaid work in family enterprises is a form of exploitation contrary to CEDAW, and such women should be guaranteed payment, social security and social benefits. CEDAW GR 16

As a migrant worker, all your human rights must be respected, including equality of treatment in employment with nationals. CPRMW 25

ACTIONS:

• Ensure participation of women in development of macroeconomic policies.
  
  
• Use gender perspectives in economic policy-making and in lending programmes, including structural adjustment programmes.
  
  
• Establish employment schemes that improve poor women's access to food.
  
  
• Examine the relationship between unpaid work and poverty.
  
  
• Enable women to obtain affordable housing, access to land and legal, technical and marketing assistance.
  
  
• Provide social security systems and strengthen state-based and community-based support systems as an essential part of social policy.
  
  
• Recognize the human rights of and include in all programmes: rural, indigenous, refugee, migrant, aging and disabled women and women heads of households.
  

2. Change laws and practices to ensure women's equal rights and access to economic resources.

STRATEGIC OBJECTIVES:

You have the right to own, manage, acquire and dispose of goods, land and other property. UDHR 17; CEDAW 16:1h; ICERD 5d:v

You have the right to conclude contracts and to administer property. CEDAW 15:2

ACTIONS:

o Provide full and equal access to economic resources, including the right to inheritance and land ownership.

3. Give women access to savings and credit.

STRATEGIC OBJECTIVES:

You have the right to bank loans, mortgages and other forms of financial credit. CEDAW 13b

As a rural woman, you have the right to agricultural credit and loans, marketing facilities, appropriate technology and equal treatment in land and agrarian reform. CEDAW 14:2g

ACTIONS:

• Ensure that women have access to financial services, improve the availability of credit and support innovative lending practices.
  
  

4. Develop gender-based methodologies and do research on the
feminization of poverty.

STRATEGIC OBJECTIVES:

Countries must take steps to quantify the unremunerated domestic activities of women and include them in the gross national product. CEDAW GR 17

ACTIONS:

• Develop methodologies for incorporating gender analysis into policy-making.
  
  
• Collect gender and age disaggregated statistics.
  

POVERTY: ACHIEVEMENTS

• Recognition of the importance of gender equality in eradicating poverty.
  
  
• Efforts to mainstream a gender perspective into poverty eradication policies and programmes by governments and multilateral, international and regional financial institutions.
  
  
• Promotion of employment and income-generating activities for women, and the provision of access to basic social services, including education and health care.
  
  
• Micro-credit has opened up economic opportunities for women, particularly in rural areas.
  
  
• The particular needs of female-headed households are being taken into account in policy development.
  
  
• Research has increased understanding of the differing impacts of poverty on women and men.
  

POVERTY: OBSTACLES

• Widening economic/income inequality between women and men.
  
  
• Unemployment and deepening poverty levels of most vulnerable and marginalized groups.
  
  
• High debt burdens.
  
  
• Excessive military spending unrelated to national security, as well as for armed conflicts, foreign occupation, and terrorism.
  
  
• Low levels of development assistance (ODA) which has not reached the agreed target of 0.7% of the GNP of developed countries.
  
  
• Inefficient use of resources.
  
  
• Lack of equality in economic power-sharing and sharing of unpaid work between women and men.
  
  
• Lack of technological and financial support for women entrepreneurs.
  
  
• Unequal access to capital, resources––particularly land and credit––and labour markets.
  
  
• The continuation of harmful traditional and customary practices.
  
  
• Economic restructuring in countries in transition has led to a lack of resources for poverty-eradication programmes for women.