Recent resolutions adopted by the General Assembly have further reaffirmed the centrality of gender equality to sustainable development. In General Assembly resolution 68/139 on the improvement of the situation of women in rural areas, adopted at its sixty-eighth session, the Assembly urged Member States to mainstream gender considerations in the governance of natural resources and to leverage the participation and influence of women in managing the sustainable use of natural resources. The resolution also called upon governments to support women smallholder farmers by facilitating their access to extension and financial services, agricultural inputs and
land, water sanitation and irrigation, markets and innovative technologies. In resolution
68/227 on women in development, adopted at
the same session, the Assembly encouraged
governments to take measures to ensure equal
access to full and productive employment and
decent work.