11. The section should begin with a preambular paragraph that would note the interdependence of the critical areas of concern, their relationship with the implementation of the Nairobi Forward-looking Strategies for the Advancement of Women, and the fact that the order of presentation reflects the concerns of women, but that all are of equal priority. The order of the presentation of the critical areas of concern should be modified. 12. There should be a clear correspondence between the strategic objectives and the critical areas of concern, both in terms of sequence in the text and aspects addressed. Use should be made of the indicators designed for use by national reports in the narratives of critical areas of concern to show the empirical basis for the concerns and to indicate the dimensions of the problems to be addressed. 13. The text on poverty should reflect the relationship of the concern with structural adjustment policies and programmes and with rural women. The text on violence against women should draw on the results of the expert group meeting on measures to eradicate violence against women presented to the Commission at its thirty-eighth session and should also make appropriate reference to violence deriving from terrorism and extremist religious views. The titles of the sections on mass media and mechanisms should be modified to reflect suggestions made during the discussion. Detailed suggestions made during the discussion should be reflected in the revised text to be presented to the Commission at its thirty-ninth session. A. The persistent and growing burden of poverty on women 14. The heavy burdens of poverty generally fall disproportionately on women because women are less likely to have sufficient access to the economic and other resources necessary to improve their lives. The number of rural women living in absolute poverty is increasing at a faster rate than for men and the proportion of women among the poor is growing in all societies. 15. There has been little progress in eradicating the worst forms of poverty over the past 10 years. The effects of prolonged global economic recession, combined with adjustment programmes that have undermined the capacity of Governments to provide for the basic needs of their populations, have also undermined anti-poverty initiatives. This situation, coupled with civil strife in many parts of the world, has resulted in an overall increase in the proportion of households living in poverty and in the number of people in absolute poverty. 16. Poverty affects households as a whole, but within them women bear a disproportionate share of the burden. Women experience poverty differently from men because of differences in their entitlement and responsibility. Women must manage household consumption under situations of increasing scarcity or obtain remunerated employment in low-paid jobs or in the informal sector, and, in so doing, they make the invisible adjustment necessary to cope with poverty. 17. There has been a significant increase in the number of female-headed households, the majority of which are poor, with dependants young and old. Lacking education, health and other support services, and not having access to economic resources, these poor women confront significant obstacles to improving their situation. If they are unable to emerge from poverty, the cycle tends to be perpetuated through their children. In the absence of programmes to -33-