A/HRC/50/25 them to enjoy the full range of human rights, including to form and express their views and be heard on matters affecting them in accordance with their age and maturity and best interests.15 There is no minimum age for acting to protect, promote and fulfil human rights. 16 16. Girls’ and young women’s full enjoyment of the rights to participate in public life, to freedom of opinion and expression, to freedom of thought and to freedom of peaceful assembly and of association are essential conditions for their full personal development, the exercise of their autonomy, their participation in shaping society and, ultimately, the achievement of gender equality and the realization of free, just and democratic societies. Those rights cover, for example, the expression and dissemination of ideas online and offline and participation in non-violent gatherings, including demonstrations, protests, meetings, marches or online assemblies, for a purpose such as expressing oneself, conveying a position on a particular issue or exchanging ideas 17 and they are enshrined in international and regional human rights instruments.18 The realization of girls’ and young women’s human right to participate in public and political life, including organizing and engaging actively with a variety of State and non-State actors, is essential for the protection of their human rights.19 17. States must ensure that mechanisms are in place to solicit the views of girls in all matters of public interest affecting them directly or indirectly and to give due weight to those views.20 As emphasized by the Committee on the Rights of the Child, States cannot assume that children are incapable of expressing their own views; on the contrary, they should encourage children to form a freely held view and should provide a safe environment that enables them to exercise their right to be heard.21 The Committee has indicated that States need to invest in proactive measures to promote the empowerment of girls and challenge patriarchal and other harmful gender norms and stereotyping, in cooperation with all stakeholders, including civil society, women and men, traditional and religious leaders and girls themselves, in order to ensure the full realization of their right to participation. 22 It has also indicated that children need to be supported and encouraged to form their own organizations and initiatives and to pursue networking among their organizations in order to increase opportunities for shared learning and platforms for collective advocacy. 23 That includes removing all barriers (namely costly administrative procedures, minimum age restrictions and so on) to children forming their own organizations or associations. 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 6 See Committee on the Rights of the Child, general comment No. 20 (2016); A/HRC/19/55; InterAmerican Commission on Human Rights, Hacia la Garantía Efectiva de los Derechos de Niñas, Niños y Adolescentes: Sistemas Nacionales de Protección (in Spanish only); and Council of Europe recommendation CM/Rec(2012)2 on the participation of children and young people under the age of 18. See Committee on the Rights of the Child, “Protecting and empowering children as human rights defenders”, day of general discussion outcome report (September 2018). See Human Rights Committee, general comments No. 21 (1992), No. 34 (2011) and No. 37 (2020). See International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, arts. 18, 19 and 21–22; Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women, art. 7; Convention on the Rights of the Child, arts. 13–15; American Convention on Human Rights, arts. 13 and 15–16; African Charter on Human and Peoples’ Rights, arts. 9–11; African Charter on the Rights and Welfare of the Child, arts. 7–9; Arab Charter on Human Rights, arts. 24 and 32; European Convention on Human Rights and Fundamental Freedoms, arts. 10–11; and European Convention on the Exercise of Children’s Rights, art. 3. See International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, arts. 2, 3 and 25; Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women, arts. 5, 7 and 14 (2); Convention on the Rights of the Child, arts. 2 and 12; American Convention on Human Rights, arts. 1 and 23; African Charter on Human and Peoples’ Rights, arts. 2, 13 and 18; Protocol to the African Charter on Human and Peoples’ Rights on the Rights of Women in Africa, art. 9; European Convention on the Exercise of Children’s Rights, art. 3; and Council of Europe Recommendation CM/Rec(2012)2. See Convention on the Rights of the Child, art. 12, and Committee on the Rights of the Child, general comment No. 12 (2009). See Committee on the Rights of the Child, general comment No. 12; and Inter-American Commission on Human Rights, Hacia la Garantía Efectiva de los Derechos de Niñas, Niños y Adolescentes. See Committee on the Rights of the Child, general comment No. 20 (2016). Ibid. and general comment No. 12 (2009).