The role of women in society : resolution / adopted by the General Assembly.

The General Assembly,

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,

Stressing that just and lasting peace requires the active participation of women in promoting international peace and co-operation,

Stressing also that sustained economic and social progress, including the establishment of a new international economic order, requires the integration of women in the development process,

Bearing in mind that economic inequality, colonialism, racism, racial discrimination, apartheid, foreign intervention, occupation, alien domination, terrorism in all its forms, acts of aggression and interference in the internal affairs of others and violations of human rights and fundamental freedoms constitute impediments to the achievement of real and genuine equality and to the active integration of women in all spheres of life,

Convinced of the necessity to secure for all women full realization 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 relevant instruments in this field,

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

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

Mindful, according to respective national legislation, 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 and to ensure that the role of women in childbearing should not be the cause of inequality and discrimination and that child rearing demands shared responsibilities among women, men and society as a whole,

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

Taking note of the meetings, including those of non-governmental organizations, at the World Congress of Women held in Moscow from 23 to 27 June 1987,

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 Organisation,

Reiterating 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 organizations, including the specialized agencies, and intergovernmental and non-governmental organizations,

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

2.         Reaffirms that the implementation of the Nairobi Forward-looking Strategies for the Advancement of Women should contribute to the achievement of the objectives of the United Nations Decade for Women: Equality, Development and Peace, leading to the elimination of all forms of discrimination against women, to genuine equality of women and men and to the full integration of women in the development process;

3.         Invites all Governments to encourage such social and economic development as will ensure the equal participation of women in all spheres of work, equal pay for work of equal value and equal opportunities for education and vocational training, taking into consideration the necessity of combining all aspects of the role of women in society as well as the challenges faced by women in all countries when seeking to combine parental duties and family responsibilities with their full involvement in political, social, economic and cultural development;

4.         Appeals to all Governments to promote conditions that will 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;

5.         Urges all Governments to recognize the special status and social importance of childbearing 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, if they so wish, to fulfil their role as mothers without prejudice to their professional and public activities;

6.         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 in society;

7.         Calls upon Member States to adopt the necessary effective measures with a view to implementing the Nairobi Forward-looking Strategies as a matter of priority, including the establishment or strengthening of appropriate mechanisms for the advancement of women, in order to ensure the full participation of women in all spheres of life in their countries;

8.         Requests the Secretary-General, when preparing surveys on the role of women in development as well as reports on the world social situation and other relevant surveys, to pay due attention to all the interrelated aspects of the role of women in society;

9.         Invites the Commission on the Status of Women to pay due attention to the provisions of the present resolution during the consideration at its next sessions of the priority themes under the heading "Equality", with a view to formulating recommendations for appropriate action by concerned United Nations organs and bodies.