Improvement of the situation of women and girls in rural areas A/RES/70/132 protecting the right to vote and to be elected and the right to freedom of expression, peaceful assembly and association, and through support for women’s and farmers’ organizations in which subsistence and smallholder women farmers are members, labour unions or other associations and civil society groups promoting rural women’s rights; (c) Promoting consultation with and the participation of rural women, including indigenous women, women with disabilities and older women, through their organizations and networks, in the design, development and implementation of and follow-up to programmes and strategies for gender equality, the empowerment of women and rural development; (d) Ensuring that the perspectives of rural women are taken into account and that they participate in the design, implementation, follow-up and evaluation of policies and activities related to conflict prevention, the mitigation of post-conflict situations, peace mediation, the impacts of climate change and emergencies, including natural disasters, humanitarian assistance, peacebuilding and post -conflict reconstruction, and taking appropriate measures to eliminate all forms of violence and discrimination against rural women and girls in this regard; (e) Integrating a gender perspective into the design, implementation and evaluation of and follow-up to development policies, plans and programmes, including budget policies, where lacking, ensuring coordination between line ministries, gender policymakers, gender machineries and other relevant government organizations and institutions with gender expertise, and paying increased attention to the needs of rural women to ensure that they benefit from policies and programmes adopted in all spheres and that the disproportionate number of rural women living in poverty is reduced; (f) Mainstreaming a gender perspective in decision-making processes and the governance of natural resources, leveraging the participation and influence of women in managing the sustainable use of natural resources, and enhancing the capacities of Governments, civil society and development partners to better understand and address gender issues in the management and governance of natural resources; (g) Strengthening measures, including resource generation, to improve women’s health, including maternal health, by addressing the specific health, nutrition and basic needs of rural women and taking co ncrete measures to enhance and provide access to the highest attainable standards of physical and mental health for women of all ages in rural areas, as well as quality, affordable and universally accessible primary health care and support services, including prenatal and postnatal health care, emergency obstetric care, family planning, information and education, increasing knowledge, awareness and support for the elimination of harmful practices and the prevention, treatment and care of sexually transmitte d infections, including HIV, and ensuring universal access to sexual and reproductive health and reproductive rights in accordance with the Programme of Action of the International Conference on Population and Development, 16 the Beijing Platform for Action 7 and the outcome documents of their review conferences; (h) Promoting sustainable infrastructure, access to safe drinking water and sanitation and safe cooking and heating practices to improve the health and nutrition of rural women and girls; __________________ 16 Report of the International Conference on Population and Development, Cairo, 5–13 September 1994 (United Nations publication, Sales No. E.95.XIII.18), chap. I, resolution 1, annex. 3/6