8. Several representatives underlined the special importance of equity of pay in view of the growth of female-headed households and stressed that women should be given equal opportunity to support themselves and their families. 9. Many representatives stressed the importance of raising the consciousness of women about their rights in the area of work. A few representatives stressed the need for organizing awareness campaigns on the concept of equal pay for work of equal value for employers and for the general public. Closing the wage gap was a developmental issue as well as an important mechanism for achieving equality, the economic independence of women and social justice, and a necessary condition for the full enjoyment by women of their human rights as citizens. 10. The importance of further research was expressed, including the possibility of convening an expert group meeting on the subject. Several representatives urged that the conclusions and recommendations of such a meeting be disseminated among Governments. One representative noted that, without prejudice to the role of the International Labour Organization (ILO) in the area, the Commission on the Status of Women should keep close record of all new developments concerning the issue of equal pay for work of equal value and that the issue should be included in the second review and appraisal of the Nairobi Forward-looking Strategies. B. Development: women in urban areas: population, nutrition and health factors for women in development, including migration, drug consumption and acquired immunodeficiency syndrome 11. Many representatives expressed their concern that rapid urbanization was a major challenge for the forthcoming decades. The urban population has been growing two and a half times faster than the rural population, and the urbanization process in developing countries was closely linked with urban poverty, severely affecting women. In some countries, the growth pattern had resulted in changes in the sectoral composition of the economy. For example, light industry accounted for a greater share of gross national product than agriculture, the traditional mainstay of women. 12. Many representatives expressed concern about current trends, indicating that increasingly more women than men were single heads of households and that more women were migrating to urban areas. A few representatives stressed that mobility was a prerequisite for women’s employment and career opportunities. Thus, such issues as public transport and housing for working women in urban and semi-urban locations should be given more attention. Some representatives emphasized the need for men and women to share all household duties. 13. Some representatives expressed regret that only two paragraphs in the Nairobi Forward-looking Strategies were devoted to the issue of women in urban areas. Some representatives expressed their disappointment that the report of the Secretary-General (E/CN.6/1994/3) did not refer to the issue of international migration of women workers, focusing instead on intra-country migration only. One representative stated that the report omitted the problem of mega-cities which generated a massive flow of men and women seeking jobs. Another representative recalled that at its thirty-fifth session, the Commission had adopted resolution 35/6 entitled "Women migrant workers", in which it had recommended several measures to be undertaken by member States to tackle the problem. She asked to be informed of the follow-up activities of the Secretariat called for in the resolution. -72-