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burden of unpaid care work and insufficient measures to reconcile paid work
and care responsibilities; the persistence of discriminatory attitudes, norms,
stereotypes and legal frameworks; insufficient social protection and insurance
coverage for women; and, despite progress, the low proportion and unequal
participation and representation of women at all levels of decision-making,
including in national parliaments and other governance structures.
22. The Commission notes that with regard to Millennium Development
Goal 4 (reducing child mortality), taking into account the important
interconnections between women’s and children’s health and gender equality
and empowerment of women, significant progress has been made in reducing
child mortality globally, including through the efforts to eliminate new HIV
infections and vertical transmissions in children, to combat malnutrition,
malaria, diarrhoea, hunger and anaemia and by addressing other factors
including the lack of access to vaccines, but the targets are likely to be missed.
The Commission notes with deep concern that child deaths are increasingly
concentrated in the poorest regions and in the first month of life, and expresses
concern that children are at greater risk of dying before the age of 5 if they are
born in rural and remote areas or to poor households. The Commission also
notes with deep concern that some regions have higher female under-five
mortality rates owing to discriminatory practices. The Commission recognizes
that progress on reducing child mortality is linked with women’s access to
health-care services, safe drinking water, sanitation and housing, as well as
mothers’ basic education and nutrition.
23. The Commission notes that with regard to Millennium Development
Goal 5 (improving maternal health), progress towards its two targets, to reduce
maternal mortality and to achieve universal access to reproductive health, has
been particularly slow and uneven, especially for the poorest and rural sectors
of the population, within and across countries. It notes that the number of
preventable maternal deaths continues to be unacceptably high and that
adolescent girls face higher risks. It further expresses concern about the
significant gaps in funding that remain and the magnitude of the unmet need
for all sexual and reproductive health-care services, including emergency
obstetric services and skilled attendance at delivery; safe and effective
contraception, services for the complications of unsafe abortion and safe
abortion where such services are permitted by national law; and prevention
and treatment of sexually transmitted infections and HIV/AIDS, among others,
through the primary health-care system with effective referral to higher levels
of care. The Commission further notes continuing challenges to progress,
including failure to protect and fulfil reproductive rights in accordance with
the Programme of Action of the International Conference on Population and
Development, the Beijing Platform for Action and the outcome documents of
their review conferences, poor nutrition and heavy workloads for pregnant
women.
24. The Commission notes that with regard to Millennium Development
Goal 6 (combating HIV/AIDS, malaria and other diseases), progress has been
limited, with the number of women living with HIV increasing globally since
2001. It also notes the particular vulnerability to HIV infection of adolescent
girls and young women, as well as other women and girls who are at a higher
risk. It stresses that structural gender inequalities and violence against women
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