17. Sustainable development should be based on the equal participation of women and men as active agents and as beneficiaries. Several representatives referred to the main document of the United Nations Conference on Environment and Development, Agenda 21, which took into account women’s vital role in environmental management and development (A/CONF.151/26/Rev.1 (vol.I), resolution 1, annex II, chap. 24). A number of representatives stated further that the Fourth World Conference on Women, the World Summit for Social Development, and the fiftieth anniversary of the United Nations should use those unique opportunities to formulate a new poverty agenda, which would be more cognizant of women’s contribution to development and more responsive to women’s needs. 18. Several representatives stressed that the empowerment of women would be a significant step towards the eradication of extreme poverty. A number of representatives emphasized that women in extreme poverty were not only deprived of access to productive resources, but also of exercising their rights as citizens as they were excluded from decision-making processes. That denial was inconsistent with the important role that women performed in economic and social life. It was stressed that the empowerment of women would require considerable changes in the roles and responsibilities of men, especially in the reproductive sphere. The importance of the role of non-governmental organizations in the eradication of poverty and in the empowerment of women was also stressed. 19. A number of representatives noted that structural adjustment policies had had a negative effect on efforts for the full integration of women into development. It was emphasized that such macroeconomic strategies should be based on gender-sensitive analysis, in order to take into account women’s needs and interests, and should be able to deal with the specific obstacles that women faced. One representative noted that policies, programmes and projects should address the triple role of women, as expressed in their productive, reproductive and community-managing activities and find appropriate ways of meeting that challenge. Several representatives emphasized that the international economic situation and the debt burden had negative implications for the social and economic conditions of women in poverty. It was noted that more attention should be given to the economic causes of poverty, such as the price of raw materials, trade imbalances and structural adjustment programmes. 20. Several representatives stressed the significance of the intergenerational transmission of poverty as a final interaction between gender and poverty. They emphasized that women’s role as mothers, and their ability to manage resources within poor households, had important consequences for the ability of their children to escape from poverty in the future. Several representatives drew attention to the systematic discrimination against girls, who were often deprived of their basic needs, such as sufficient intake of food, and education. Expanding educational and training opportunities for girls and women was a cost-effective measure and was directly connected to achieving global well-being. 21. Many representatives stated that the number of women who were heads of household had been steadily increasing and that they were likely to be among the poorest as they faced severe constraints and restricted access to almost all services. It was necessary to focus on different groups of women, such as elderly women, refugees and displaced women, and migrant women, as well as women with disabilities and indigenous women. It was considered that adequate services and pension schemes for elderly women should be set up. 22. Many representatives emphasized the vital role of rural women in the social and economic life of a society. In most developing countries, rural women played an important role in agricultural production; however, such women still -72-