Gender equality should be central to all N4G commitments. All countries and development partners should make specific commitments to improve nutrition and gender equality in line with six cross-cutting principles:

• Be targeted and inclusive, at minimum, and striving towards transformative action.

→ (i) Targeted – Directly addressing the specific nutritional needs of women and girls at different stages of their lives, ensuring support is personalized and effective.

→ (ii) Inclusive – Engaging women and girls, especially those from marginalized or underserved communities, in the decision-making process, making sure programmes are tuned to their needs

and experiences.

→ (iii) Transformative – Working to break down the systemic and structural barriers and increase women’s and girls’ agency, access and control over the social and economic resources that influence their nutrition outcomes

Commitments should also:

• Address the unique needs and rights of women and girls across their lifespan, considering all forms of malnutrition: There are critical periods in women's and girls' lives (early childhood, adolescence, pregnancy, and breastfeeding) where targeted commitments are needed to address gender barriers and meet unique nutritional needs that impact long-term nutrition and empowerment.

• Seek to tackle harmful gender norms and dynamics: Achieving gender equality and ending malnutrition requires a gender transformative approach that addresses discriminatory social norms, empowers women and girls, and recognizes the specific vulnerabilities of boys and men, to ultimately promote equitable health and well-being for all

• Recognise the importance of a multisectoral, systems-change approach: Gendered barriers to nutrition require a comprehensive approach, considering the role of women and girls in designing interventions, particularly in healthcare and agrifood systems, and addressing intersecting vulnerabilities through context-specific and gender-informed strategies.

• Address climate change by centring women and girls in adaptation and mitigation strategies, recognising its disproportionate impact on their health, nutrition, and well-being.

• Close gender and age data and evidence gaps: There is a significant lack of investment in collecting high-quality, age- and gender-disaggregated data, particularly for adolescent girls. Commitments should target and report using such data, also considering intersecting vulnerabilities, to inform policies and financing that meet the realities of women and girls.