Innovative Practices for the Financial Inclusion and Economic Empowerment of Women, Especially Rural Women

– As delivered –

Statement by H.E. Mr. Miroslav Lajčák, President of the 72^nd Session of the UN General Assembly, at G77 High-Level Interactive Dialogue on “Innovative Practices for the Financial Inclusion and Economic Empowerment of Women, Especially Rural Women”

Excellencies, distinguished delegates, ladies and gentlemen,

At the United Nations, we often call for follow-up to our discussions. And, we often call for lessons and experiences to be shared, among us. Today, we can answer both of these calls – in one go.

Because, by focusing on women’s economic empowerment, we will be following up on our discussions from last year’s CSW Session. And we will be bringing this theme into the current session, by sharing lessons on how it affects rural women and girls.

As we begin, I will make three brief points.

First, I want to say that economic empowerment of women is not, just, about women.

If we see it that way, we will miss out on the bigger picture.

And, the bigger picture is this: women’s economic empowerment is good for us all.

The data is clear. Gender equality means more for societies. It can have an impact on GDP per capita. It can improve market competitiveness. And it can contribute to overall human development.

OECD research has shown that, when more women are employed and educated, economies do better. According to the World Bank, eliminating gender barriers could increase labour productivity – by as much as 25%, in some countries.

We heard many similar statistics, during CSW61. And we concluded that the economic empowerment of women is necessary. Not just for women. But also for the societies around them.

Yet, one year later, the barriers to their economic empowerment are as real as ever. Particularly in rural areas. Too many rural women still find themselves restricted to the informal economy. Too many rural women still lack access to resources, including land, property and financial capital. And too many rural women are still without even basic literacy skills

And, as my second point today, I want to say that this needs to change – urgently. We need to pull these barriers down. And we need to build new pathways, in their place.

To do that, we need laws. The World Bank Group has found that nearly 190 countries have discriminatory laws. These impede women’s employment and entrepreneurship. Legislative reform is therefore urgently needed. It must replace discrimination with opportunities. It must ensure women’s equal rights in areas such as land and inheritance. And, importantly, it must also be implemented, on the ground. Too often we have seen progressive laws ignored by customary practices or norms.

We also need policies. Not just ones that focus on urban and commercial hubs – but policies that are targeted, specifically, at rural women. These should facilitate more -and better – training and education in rural areas. They should allow rural women to access legal services. And they should ensure a gender perspective, throughout national Sustainable Development policies – not just when it comes to SDG 5, but for every single Sustainable Development Goal.

And, importantly, we also need partnerships. Because governments cannot pave the pathways to economic empowerment alone. The private sector must play a major role. It can help to channel seed funding to initiatives run by rural women. And it can work to bridge the digital divide, by bringing technology to women in rural areas. For example, public-private partnerships have supported women entrepreneurs by expanding mobile banking technology to rural areas.

Partnerships with civil society are also crucial. They can help governments to launch outreach campaigns. And they can provide support to grassroots initiatives, which are run by, or benefit, rural women and girls. One example of this is UN Women’s “seed caravan”, which provides a platform for Moroccan women farmers, who are working to adapt their techniques in defense of climate change.

But, as my third point, I want to look beyond economics.

We cannot just ask whether a woman goes to work every day. Instead, we need to look at the circumstances around that.

A woman beaten, in her own home.

A woman turned away from a police station, when her land is taken away.

A woman without enough food to eat.

A girl taken out of school, and forced to marry a man twice her age.

A woman raped by soldiers, rebels, or terrorists.

Or a girl affected by female genital mutilation

These women and girls do not always make it into our conversations about economic empowerment. Often, their challenges are discussed under different themes: Violence against women. Rule of law. Human rights. Food security. Peace.

But, all of these affect the agency of women – and, therefore, their chances of economic empowerment.

And I am sure that the stories we will listen to today will reaffirm this.

Excellencies,

As I said, this event offers us an opportunity to follow up our discussions from last year.

But, more than that: it offers us an opportunity to ensure that our discussions, next year, are different.

Because, our aim today is not just to share lessons. It is to find ways to turn those lessons into action. And to finally pull down the barriers, which are affecting women and girls – in towns and villages, all over the world.

They may not hear our voices today. But let us ensure that they benefit from the actions that will come after.

Thank you all again.