Women in development A/RES/72/234 1. Takes note of the report of the Secretary-General; 11 2. Reaffirms that the realization of gender equality and the empowerment of women and girls will make a crucial contribution to progress across all the Sustainable Development Goals and targets, 12 that the achievement of full human potential and of sustainable development is not possible if one half of humanity continues to be denied its full human rights and opportunities, that women and girls must enjoy equal access to quality education, economic resources and political participation, as well as equal opportunities with men and boys for employment, leadership positions and decision-making at all levels, that it will work for a significant increase in investments to close the gender gap and strengthen support for institutions in relation to gender equality and the empowerment of women at the global, regional and national levels, that all forms of discrimination an d violence against women and girls will be eliminated, including through the engagement of men and boys, and that the systematic mainstreaming of a gender perspective in the implementation of the 2030 Agenda is crucial; 3. Also reaffirms the commitment to promoting social inclusion in domestic policies and to promoting and enforcing non-discriminatory laws, social infrastructure and policies for sustainable development, as well as to enabling women’s full and equal participation in the economy and their equal access to decision-making processes and leadership; 4. Emphasizes the need to link policies on economic, social and environmental development to ensure that all people, in particular women and children living in poverty and in vulnerable situations, benefit from inclusive economic growth and development, in accordance with the goals of the Monterrey Consensus of the International Conference on Financing for Development, 13 the Doha Declaration on Financing for Development: outcome docu ment of the Follow-up International Conference on Financing for Development to Review the Implementation of the Monterrey Consensus 14 and the Addis Ababa Action Agenda of the Third International Conference on Financing for Development; 15 5. Reaffirms that achieving gender equality, empowering all women and girls and the full realization of their human rights are essential to achieving sustained, inclusive and equitable economic growth and sustainable development, reiterates the need for gender mainstreaming, including targeted actions and investments in the formulation and implementation of all financial, economic, environmental and social policies, and further reaffirms the commitment to adopting and strengthening sound policies and enforceable legislation and transformative actions for the promotion of gender equality and the empowerment of women and girls at all levels to ensure women’s equal rights, access and opportunities for participation and leadership in the economy and to eliminate gender-based violence and discrimination in all its forms; 6. Stresses the importance of the creation by Governments, international organizations, including the United Nations, the private sector, non -governmental organizations, trade unions and other stakeholders of a favourable and conducive national and international environment in all areas of life for the effective integration of women and girls in development, and of their undertaking and disseminating a gender analysis of legislation, policies and programmes relate d to macroeconomic __________________ 11 12 13 14 15 17-23312 A/72/282. See resolution 70/1. Report of the International Conference on Financing for Development, Monterrey, Mexico , 18−22 March 2002 (United Nations publication, Sales No. E.02.II.A.7), chap. I, resolution 1, annex. Resolution 63/239, annex. Resolution 69/313, annex. 5/15