A/HRC/41/43 The business practice of requiring women to undergo pregnancy tests, and restrictions on marriage during employment, would infringe article 16. Beijing Declaration and Platform for Action 25. The Beijing Declaration and Platform for Action mark an important step in that they invite Governments, the private sector and civil society organizations, including women’s groups, to take concrete actions to achieve gender equality and empower women in all spheres of life. In the Beijing Declaration, it is reaffirmed that women’s empowerment and their full participation on the basis of equality in all spheres of society are fundamental for the achievement of equality, development and peace (para. 13), and men are encouraged to participate fully in all actions towards equality (para. 25). 26. In the Platform for Action (para. 44), Governments and the private sector, among others, are called on to take strategic action in areas of concern such as the persistent and increasing burden of poverty on women; inequalities and inadequacies in and unequal access to education and training; violence against women; inequality in economic structures and policies; and gender inequalities in the management of natural resources and in the safeguarding of the environment. Moreover, regional development banks, regional business associations and other regional institutions are invited to contribute to and help mobilize resources in their lending and other activities for the implementation of the Platform for Action (para. 351). Women’s Empowerment Principles 27. The Women’s Empowerment Principles were launched in 2010. They comprise seven principles aimed at promoting gender equality in the workplace, marketplace and community. Representatives of more than 2,000 companies from different sectors operating all over the world have signed a statement of support for the Principles.32 The number of participating companies, while not insignificant, is quite small on a global scale. 28. In March 2017, the Women’s Empowerment Principles Gender Gap Analysis Tool was launched to assist companies in assessing their policies and practices vis-à-vis the Principles and, in turn, enable them to design further measures to achieve gender equality. A 2018 report on global trends revealed that although 69 per cent of companies using the Tool had a leadership commitment for gender equality and women’s empowerment, only 30 per cent had set time-bound, measurable goals and targets to achieve gender equality through the Principles. 33 Only 16 per cent of companies using the Tool ensure equal participation of women and men in community consultations. 34 This shows that much more needs to be done to expand both the breadth and the depth of business engagement with the Principles. Sustainable Development Goals 29. The 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, in which gender is considered both as a stand-alone and cross-cutting issue, seeks, among other things, to realize the human rights of all and to achieve gender equality and the empowerment of all women and girls. 35 Goal 5 operationalizes this collective aspiration through targets 5.1 and 5.2, aimed at ending all forms of discrimination and violence (including trafficking and sexual exploitation) against all women and girls everywhere in the public and private spheres. Other targets under the goal include target 5.4, to recognize the value of unpaid care and domestic work, often done by women and girls, and 5.5, to ensure women’s full and effective participation and equal opportunities for leadership at all levels of decisionmaking in political, economic and public life. 32 33 34 35 See www.empowerwomen.org/en/weps/companies. “Women’s Empowerment Principles: global trends report 2018”, p. 4. Ibid. General Assembly resolution 70/1, preamble. 7