Overview 4

The Government of Senegal hosted a regional preparatory meeting on the theme of “Women and health in Africa”, where progress on the MDGs concerning maternal mortality and HIV/AIDS remains weak. The Global Preparatory Meeting discussed the role of women in food security. The meeting sent a clear message that rural women are key stakeholders in sustainable development and a critical force in reducing poverty and hunger. If countries are to achieve their development goals, concerted and targeted action is needed to empower rural women and to redress existing levels of gender equality. The Economic and Social Council also addressed innovative partnerships through a special event on philanthropy. Representatives of various stakeholders discussed how to join forces to end violence against women and girls and to promote women’s economic empowerment. The reports of these preparatory events are contained in Part A below.

Related Subject(s): Women and Gender Issues