Major Group: Women
Industrial Development, Sustainable Production and Consumption
Women as a Major Group would like to call attention to the fact that the
contributions of women in national economies are often unrecognized and
unpaid. In many countries, women face limited employment options and
economic opportunities due to social constraints and lack of political and legal
rights. Governments should therefore adopt right-based strategies designed
to benefit women, who are often the ones most affected by poverty,
unsustainable industrial development, and lack of access to affordable
energy.
.
Sustainable industrial development must include consideration of
environmental and health factors as well as attention to social and gender
equity concerns. Governments should promote women?s participation in
productive activities, with adequate remuneration and security, and without
overexploitation of women?s labor. This is essential for improving women?s
quality of life and addressing their disproportionate poverty levels. In this
respect, vocational training, marketing skills, financing, and provision of
cleaner energy at affordable prices are some of our key priorities. .
.
An emphasis on investments in small and medium scale enterprises and
locally-based markets will help stimulate women?s entrepreneurship as well as
environmentally sustainable chains of production. Additionally, introduction of
large scale industries and new technologies should be carefully assessed to
consider potential threats to communities, food security, biodiversity and
natural resources.
Women also play a key role in a transition to more sustainable consumption
patterns, through their roles in family-level decision-making as well as through
increased participation in national economic policies and international forums
such as the Marrakech process.
We would like to emphasize that increased access to energy is a critical factor
for women?s economic advancement. We encourage policy-makers to
broaden their perspectives on ?energy? beyond technology, profit and supply
issues, and to take into account the social aspects of energy as a carrier of
services needed for implementing sustainable development and the
Millennium Development Goals.
Women as a Major Group would like to call attention to the fact that the
contributions of women in national economies are often unrecognized and
unpaid. In many countries, women face limited employment options and
economic opportunities due to social constraints and lack of political and legal
rights. Governments should therefore adopt right-based strategies designed
to benefit women, who are often the ones most affected by poverty,
unsustainable industrial development, and lack of access to affordable
energy.
.
Sustainable industrial development must include consideration of
environmental and health factors as well as attention to social and gender
equity concerns. Governments should promote women?s participation in
productive activities, with adequate remuneration and security, and without
overexploitation of women?s labor. This is essential for improving women?s
quality of life and addressing their disproportionate poverty levels. In this
respect, vocational training, marketing skills, financing, and provision of
cleaner energy at affordable prices are some of our key priorities. .
.
An emphasis on investments in small and medium scale enterprises and
locally-based markets will help stimulate women?s entrepreneurship as well as
environmentally sustainable chains of production. Additionally, introduction of
large scale industries and new technologies should be carefully assessed to
consider potential threats to communities, food security, biodiversity and
natural resources.
Women also play a key role in a transition to more sustainable consumption
patterns, through their roles in family-level decision-making as well as through
increased participation in national economic policies and international forums
such as the Marrakech process.
We would like to emphasize that increased access to energy is a critical factor
for women?s economic advancement. We encourage policy-makers to
broaden their perspectives on ?energy? beyond technology, profit and supply
issues, and to take into account the social aspects of energy as a carrier of
services needed for implementing sustainable development and the
Millennium Development Goals.