NOTE TO THE READER The 2017 session of the United Nations Commission on the Status of Women charted a clear path towards women’s economic empowerment in the changing world of work. The “agreed conclusions” adopted by the Commission at its sixty-first session (E/2017/27) set out the steps and measures necessary to overcome persistent inequalities, discrimination and barriers that women face in the current world of work, and action that is needed to ensure that women can take full advantage of the opportunities arising as the world of work is changing. • Addressing the growing informality of work and mobility of women workers (paragraphs 40 (nn) to (qq); The introductory part (paragraphs 1 to 39) sets out existing commitments on gender equality and the empowerment of women. It reaffirms that the Beijing Declaration and Platform for Action and other outcome documents have laid a solid foundation for sustainable development and that their full, effective and accelerated implementation will make a crucial contribution to the implementation of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and to women’s economic empowerment. It recognizes that women’s equal economic rights, economic empowerment and independence are essential to the achievement of the 2030 Agenda. It analyzes the linkages between various dimensions of gender equality and the empowerment of women and girls, and how those linkages impact on women’s economic empowerment in the changing world of work. The first section sets out actions needed to strengthen normative and legal frameworks. It calls for the ratification and full implementation of the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women and the Convention on the Rights of the Child, as well as the fundamental conventions of the International Labour Organization. Actions address the need to ensure equality and prohibit discrimination against women in their participation in and access to labour markets. Key areas such as access to economic and productive resources, elimination of occupational segregation, equal pay for equal work or work of equal value, elimination of all forms of violence and harassment against women and girls, and reconciliation and sharing of work and family responsibilities are covered. Following this introductory part, the Commission urges Governments and other stakeholders to take action in the following seven areas: • Strengthening normative and legal frameworks (paragraphs 40 (a) to (j)); • Strengthening education, training and skills development (paragraphs 40 (k) to (n)); • Implementing economic and social policies for women’s economic empowerment (paragraphs 40 (o) to (mm); • Managing technological and digital change for women’s economic empowerment (paragraphs 40 (rr) to (ss)); • Strengthening women’s collective voice, leadership and decision-making (paragraphs 40 (tt) to (aaa)); • Strengthening the role of the private sector in women’s economic empowerment (paragraphs 40 (bbb) to (eee)). The second section aims to foster education, training and skills development. Actions aim to ensure universal access to quality education, equal access to career development, training, scholarships and fellowships, and the mainstreaming of a gender perspective into education and training programmes. Attention is focused on the areas of science, technology, engineering and mathematics, communications and technology education, and the transition from education or unemployment to work. Actions outline to ensure that pregnant adolescents, young mothers, and single mothers can continue and complete their education.