United Nations Headquarters in New York — The 68th Session of the Commission on the Status of Women held at the United Nations headquarters highlighted the critical significance of women’s resource rights in attaining gender equality, poverty alleviation, and food security. The conference, titled “Harvesting Empowerment,” gathered global leaders and politicians to emphasize the importance of equitable land and resource ownership.
Sadia Mohamed Nor, Director of the Gender Department of the Ministry of Women and Human Rights Development, presented an engaging speech on behalf of Somalia. She underlined the crucial importance of a comprehensive approach to growth and development that integrates economic and social advancement, with a particular emphasis on law enforcement and gender-responsive employment.
“Ensuring women’s economic empowerment and access to resources demands a gender-sensitive macroeconomic environment, full employment, decent work, and comprehensive social protection measures,” she went on to say. The call to action was straightforward: “Invest in Women: Accelerate Progress.”
The conference proposed critical strategies for improving women’s status and combating the feminization of poverty. This includes:
- Adopting gender-responsive budgeting entails increasing investments in social infrastructure to improve women’s capacities and reduce unpaid care and domestic chores.
- Inclusive trade facilitation: Applying AfCFTA principles to help women benefit from trade processes.
- Sustainable infrastructure entails ensuring access to food and nutrition, especially in conflict or disaster-affected communities.
Financial empowerment entails increasing women’s access to finance, training, and skill development in order to improve their quality of life and alleviate poverty.
The event represented a renewed commitment to examining and enhancing policies that encourage openness, accountability, and informed action based on human rights knowledge, paving the path for a more fair and prosperous future for all women.