E/2014/27 E/CN.6/2014/15 Resolution 58/2 Gender equality and the empowerment of women in natural disasters* The Commission on the Status of Women, Bearing in mind that natural disasters affect human lives and living conditions thereafter, and have a more direct and adverse impact on women and girls, as well as vulnerable persons within groups such as children, older persons and persons with disabilities, and that natural disasters have different impacts on men and women, owing to social exclusion, gender inequality, gender stereotypes, different family responsibilities, discrimination against women and poverty, as well as the lack of equal access to adequate services, information, economic opportunities, entitlements, justice and safety, Reaffirming the commitments regarding women and girls affected by natural disasters in the Beijing Platform for Action 3 and the outcomes of the twenty-third special session of the General Assembly,4 and reaffirming also that the outcomes stressed the need to incorporate a gender perspective into disaster risk reduction, response and recovery strategies, Noting that, during a natural disaster, pregnant or lactating women and adolescent girls, who constitute an average of 18 to 20 per cent of the female population, are more vulnerable to disasters because of their limited physical mobility and their increased needs for food and water and for access to reproductive health care and safe birthing facilities, Recognizing that natural disasters can increase the likelihood of rape and sexual exploitation, domestic violence, unwanted pregnancies, sexually transmitted infections and complications regarding sexual and reproductive health, including for pregnant women, who face heightened risks from interrupted access to sexual and reproductive health care, Noting that natural disasters can lead to widespread and prolonged displacement, which increases the vulnerability, in particular of women and girls, to gender-based violence and to negative coping strategies, creates barriers to their ability to access education, employment and health-care and other crucial services, and separates them from support networks, Recalling its resolution 56/2 of 9 March 2012, 21 and mindful of the continuing need to further enhance gender equality and the empowerment of women, Recalling also the agreed conclusions of the forty-sixth session of the Commission on the Status of Women of 15 March 2002,22 Commission on the Status of Women resolution 49/5 of 11 March 2005, 23 as well as Commission resolution 55/1 of 4 March 2011 entitled “Mainstreaming gender equality and promoting empowerment of women in climate change policies and __________________ * For the discussion, see chap. II. Official Records of the Economic and Social Council, 2012, Supplement No. 7 (E/2012/27E/CN.6/2012/16), chap. I, sect. D. 22 Ibid., 2002, Supplement No. 7 (E/2002/27-E/CN.6/2002/13), chap. I, sect. A. 23 Ibid., 2005, Supplement No. 7 and corrigendum (E/2005/27-E/CN.6/2005/11 and Corr.1), chap. I, sect. D. 21 14-02869 35/95