women’s poverty is directly related to the absence of economic opportunities and autonomy, lack of access to economic and productive resources, quality education and support services, and women’s minimal participation in the decision-making process. The Commission further recognizes that women’s poverty and lack of empowerment as well as their exclusion from social and economic policies can place them at increased risk of violence and that violence against women impedes social and economic development, as well as the achievement of the Millennium Development Goals. 35. The Commission expresses deep concern about the ongoing adverse impacts, particularly on development and the achievement of the Millennium Development Goals for women and girls, of the world financial and economic crisis, recognizing evidence of an uneven and fragile recovery, and cognizant that the global economy, notwithstanding significant efforts that helped contain tail risks, improve financial market conditions and sustain recovery, still remains in a challenging phase, with downside risks, inter alia, for women and girls, including high volatility in global markets, high unemployment, particularly among youth, indebtedness in some countries and widespread fiscal strains that pose challenges for global economic recovery and reflect the need for additional progress towards sustaining and rebalancing global demand, and stresses the need for continuing efforts to address systemic fragilities and imbalances and to reform and strengthen the international financial system while implementing the reforms agreed to date, and in respect of maintaining adequate levels of funding for the achievement of gender equality and the empowerment of women. 33. The Commission is also concerned that countries affected by natural disasters are less likely to achieve the Millennium Development Goals, and further notes that women and girls are disproportionately affected by natural disasters. It further recognizes that women play a vital role in disaster risk reduction, response and recovery, including rehabilitation and reconstruction, and the need to enhance women’s access, capacities and opportunities to effectively and equally participate in the prevention and preparedness efforts and response to disasters. 36. The Commission acknowledges that the global bur 34. The Commission is deeply concerned that climate den and threat of non communicable diseases constitutes one of the major challenges for sustainable development in the twenty-first century, which may have a direct impact on the achievement of the internationally agreed development goals, including the Millennium Development Goals. It further notes that developing countries bear a disproportionate burden and that non-communicable diseases can affect women and men differently. change poses a challenge to the achievement of sustainable development and that women and girls are disproportionately affected by the impacts of desertification, deforestation and natural disasters, persistent drought, extreme weather events, sea-level rise, coastal erosion and ocean acidification, and is also deeply concerned that the adverse impacts of climate change on women and girls, especially those living in poverty, can be exacerbated by gender inequality and discrimination, and expresses profound alarm that greenhouse gas emissions continue to rise globally, remains deeply concerned that all countries, particularly developing countries, are vulnerable to the adverse impacts of climate change and are already experiencing increased impacts, including persistent drought and extreme weather events, sea-level rise, coastal erosion and ocean acidification further threatening food security and efforts to eradicate poverty and achieve sustainable development, and in this regard emphasizes that adaptation to climate change represents an immediate and urgent global priority. 37. The Commission further recognizes that progress on the Millennium Development Goals for women and girls has been limited owing to the lack of systematic gender mainstreaming and integration of gender perspective in the design, implementation, monitoring and evaluation of the Goals. The Commission also recognizes that effective gender-responsive monitoring of the Goals has been limited owing to a lack of investment in and the consistent collection and use of reliable, integrated gender indicators, statistics and data, disaggregated by sex, age, disability, location and other relevant factors, and that goals, targets and indicators, including gender-sensitive indicators, are valuable 8