E/2010/27 E/CN.6/2010/11 economic structures is needed to ensure women’s equal access to and control over economic resources. Systematic attention should be paid to the priorities and needs of women and girls in the planning, development, implementation and evaluation of economic policies. 11. Legislation and policies have been adopted to increase women’s ownership of productive assets. Implementation, however, remains inadequate in many countries owing to sociocultural norms and women’s lack of knowledge of their rights. While microcredit remains an important poverty reduction strategy, it has not been a tool sufficient for women’s economic empowerment. 12. While financial and economic crises have gender-specific impacts and place a disproportionate burden on women, in particular poor women, they also present opportunities to change strategies and actions. Responses to the financial and economic crisis, including stimulus packages, need to take into account the needs and priorities of women and girls in order to ensure that the gains made in promoting gender equality and women’s empowerment are not reversed. 13. Women’s access to the labour market and decent work is critical. Many countries have taken legislative and policy measures to address discrimination against women in the labour market. In recent years, women’s access to employment opportunities has increased. However, women continue to be concentrated in vulnerable and low-paid jobs with little security. Occupational segregation and gender wage gaps persist in all parts of the world. Unequal sharing of unpaid work, including caregiving, between women and men constrains the ability of women to fully participate in the labour market. 14. Promising practices to increase women’s participation in the labour market and support the redistribution of unpaid work between women and men include parental leave policies for both women and men. Investment in infrastructure, such as energy, water and sanitation, childcare facilities and transportation systems, can reduce women’s time burdens, leading to increased opportunity to participate in the labour market. It is also important to ensure that women have access to newly created jobs, such as green jobs. 15. In many countries, social protection measures such as unemployment insurance schemes, universal health coverage and social pensions, have played critical roles in promoting gender equality and the empowerment of women and realizing poverty reduction, economic growth and development. Good and promising practices also include the extension of social security coverage to groups that have traditionally been excluded or marginalized, including domestic workers. Basic social security for all would contribute to the achievement of the Millennium Development Goals, as would the establishment of a global social protection floor. 16. Wars, natural disasters and related crisis situations have profoundly different impacts on women and girls. All forms of gender-based violence, in particular sexual violence, may be exacerbated and access to health care, education and livelihood severely affected. Effective responses require that such differences be taken into account in needs assessments and planning in the aftermath of an armed conflict or crisis. They also require the equal 40 10-30576