A/RES/79/158 Child, early and forced marriage recognizing also that poverty, including the feminization of poverty, insecurity, early and unintended pregnancy and lack of access to quality education are also among the root causes of child, early and forced marriage, Deeply alarmed by reports of the abduction, trafficking and forced religious conversion of women and girls, including those belonging to religious minorities, by armed groups and other non-State actors in connection with child, early and forced marriage, Recognizing that, in some regions and contexts, the practice of child, early and forced marriage may include other arrangements, including informal unions, that are not formalized, registered or recognized by a religious, customary or State authority, and that such arrangements should be addressed and eliminated in policies and programmes to prevent, address and eliminate child, early and forced marriage and that strengthening efforts to collect quality disaggregated data and information on these arrangements will help to develop responses for affected girls and women, Noting with concern that deep-rooted gender discrimination, inequalities and stereotypes, harmful practices, perceptions and customs, patriarchal attitudes and structures and discriminatory social norms that consider women and girls to be inferior to men and boys are not only obstacles to the full enjoyment of human rights and the empowerment of all women and girls, but are also among the root causes of child, early and forced marriage, and that the persistence of child, early and forced marriage places children, in particular girls, at greater risk of being exposed to and encountering various forms of discrimination and violence throughout their lives, Noting with concern also that child, early and forced marriage remains common in rural areas and among the poorest communities and has increased among the poorest communities over the past decade, and acknowledging the correlation between child, early and forced marriage and econ omic insecurity, poverty and lack of income opportunities and that the immediate alleviation and eradication of extreme poverty must remain a high priority for the international community, Recognizing that child, early and forced marriage is underrecognized and underreported and often coincides with impunity and lack of accountability, particularly at the community level, and that the persistence of child, early and forced marriage places women and girls at greater risk of being exposed to and encountering various forms of discrimination and violence throughout their lives, including marital rape and sexual, physical and psychological violence, and reinforces the lower status of girls and adolescent girls in society, Recognizing also that child, early and forced marriage is a major impediment to the achievement of the economic empowerment of women and their social and economic development, including through the disproportionate share of unpaid care and domestic work shouldered by girls and women, thereby hampering the ability of women to enter, advance and remain in the labour market, and that this harmful practice can impede economic independence and impose direct and indirect short and long-term costs on society, and recognizing further that the economic autonomy of women can expand their options for leaving abusive and violent relationships, Recognizing further that child, early and forced marriage undermines women’s and girls’ autonomy and decision-making in all aspects of their lives and that the empowerment of and investment in all women and girls, as well as the strengthening of their voice, agency, leadership and full and meaningful participation in all decisions that affect them, are key factors in breaking the cycle of gender inequality and multiple and intersecting forms of discrimination, violence and poverty and are critical, inter alia, for sustainable development, peace, security, democracy and inclusive economic growth, 4/15 24-24151