Women in development A/RES/72/234 Platform for Action and the outcomes of relevant United Nations conferences and resolutions of the General Assembly, including through investing in the development of women and girls and promoting their economic and political participation and equal access to economic and productive resources and education, is of fundamental importance and has a multiplier effect for achieving sustained and inclusive economic growth, poverty eradication and sustainable development, Noting the importance of the organizations and bodies of the United Nations system, in particular its funds and programmes and the specialized agencies, in facilitating the advancement and empowerment of women in development in line with resolution 71/243 on the quadrennial comprehensive policy review of operational activities for development of the United Nations system, Reiterating the importance and value of the mandate of the United Nations Entity for Gender Equality and the Empowerment of Women (UN -Women), welcoming the leadership of UN-Women in providing a strong voice for women and girls at all levels, and reaffirming its important role in leading, coordinating and promoting accountability of the United Nations system in its work on gender equalit y and the empowerment of women, Taking note of the reports of the High-level Panel on Women’s Economic Empowerment, which outline the transformative impact of unlocking the potential of women and girls to participate in the economy and achieve financial independence in the implementation of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, Strongly condemning the persistence and pervasiveness of violence against women and girls, stressing the need to eliminate all forms of violence against all women and girls in public and private spaces, and encouraging Member States to adopt specific preventive measures to protect women, youth and children from any form of abuse, including sexual abuse, exploitation, trafficking and violence, Recognizing that the remaining effects of the world financial and economic crises have the potential to undermine progress towards achieving the internationally agreed development goals, including the Sustainable Development Goals, and that women remain especially affected by the slow pace of the global economic recovery, Underlining that, globally, the gross domestic product growth rate could increase significantly if every country achieved gender equality, and recognizing that the economic and social losses owing to a lack of progress in achieving gender equality and the empowerment of women and girls are significant, Reaffirming the provisions concerning the pursuit of full and productive employment and access to decent work and social protection for all in the outcome document of the United Nations Conference on Sustainable Development, and calling upon States to adopt forward-looking macroeconomic policies that promote sustainable development and lead to sustained, inclusive and equitable economic growth, increase productive employment opportunities and promote agricultural and industrial development, Recognizing that men and women workers should have equal access to quality education, skills training, health-care services, social security, fundamental rights at work, social and legal protections, including occupational safety and health, and decent work opportunities, as well as, inter alia, equal pay for equal work or work of equal value and equal opportunities for employment, leadership positions and decision-making at all levels, Recognizing also that, in general, women and girls undertake a disproportionate share of unpaid care and domestic work and that women spend less time in paid work, and that this unequal distribution of unpaid care and domestic wo rk contributes to 17-23312 3/15