The Peacebuilding Commission and the Executive Board of UN Women hosted a High-level Meeting on “Integrating women into economic recovery." Michelle Bachelet, UN Women Executive Director, said women are more likely than men to spend their income on health and education to improve their children's and family's wellbeing, and that UN Women is partnering with WFP, IFAD and the FAO to support the economic empowerment of rural women.
18 November 2011: A High-level Meeting on “Integrating women into economic recovery” was organized by the Peacebuilding Commission (PBC) and the Executive Board of UN Women.Addressing the opening plenary at UN Headquarters in New York, US, on 18 November 2011, UN Women Executive Director Michelle Bachelet argued for promoting women’s equal role in disarmament, demobilization and reintegration (DDR) to ensure that recovery is sustainable and leads to long-term peace. This would entail investing in women’s economic capacities and employment, including access to land and property. She recalled the UN Secretary-General’s 2010 report on women and peacebuilding, which provides practical and concrete recommendations to the UN and partners, and she noted the evidence that investing in women makes economic sense as they are more likely than men to spend their income on health and education to improve their children’s and family’s wellbeing.
Bachelet said UN Women is partnering with the World Food Programme (WFP), the International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD) and the Food and Agriculture Organization of the UN (FAO) to provide targeted support for the economic empowerment of rural women. [Statement of UN Women Executive Director]