A/HRC/RES/41/17 roles, hindering them from the exercise and enjoyment of human rights and fundamental freedoms, Recognizing also that violence against women and girls is a manifestation of gender inequality and discrimination against women and girls, and can violate their economic rights, impede their economic empowerment and impose direct and indirect short- and long-term costs on individuals and society, including loss of livelihood and additional expenses relating to health, legal services and social welfare, Reiterating the need to intensify efforts at all levels and to engage with all stakeholders, including men and boys alongside women and girls as agents of change, to prevent and eliminate all forms of discrimination and violence against women and girls in the public and private spheres, including the need to address gender stereotypes, negative social norms, attitudes and behaviours and the socioeconomic drivers that underlie and perpetuate such violence, Recognizing the particular risk of violence faced by all women and girls who experience multiple and intersecting forms of discrimination, and stressing the urgent need to address all forms of violence and discrimination against them, Recognizing also that poverty, discrimination and marginalization resulting from exclusion from social policies and from the benefits of education, health, labour protection and sustainable development can place women and girls at increased risk of violence, Strongly condemning all acts of violence against women and girls involved in political and public spheres, including women parliamentarians, political candidates, journalists and other media workers and human rights defenders, Acknowledging that some forms of violence in the world of work affect women specifically, such as harassment, discrimination and bullying by co-workers, subordinates or superiors in the context of pregnancy, breastfeeding and maternity leave, Recognizing that violence, including sexual harassment and domestic and intimate partner violence, undermines the full realization of the right to work and can result in increased absenteeism, reduced productivity and disrupted work history, thereby impeding women’s ability to remain and advance at work and hindering the economic empowerment of women and girls, Stressing that laws addressing violence against women and girls are often of limited scope and may not cover many workplaces and contract statuses, such as those of temporary workers and domestic workers, including migrant domestic workers, as well as the informal sector and those working in conflict and post-conflict settings, and that gaps need to be addressed, Recognizing that women and girls undertake a disproportionate share of unpaid and domestic work and that policies and initiatives that support the reconciliation of work and family life and the equal sharing of responsibilities between women and men are critical for achieving gender equality and eliminating violence against women and girls, Recognizing also the role of employers in developing effective human resources and labour protection policies to prevent and respond to violence in the workplace, establishing processes for employees to share information in confidence, protecting victims and survivors from secondary victimization and protecting victims, survivors, witnesses and whistleblowers from reprisals for reporting violence, and providing victims and survivors with adequate support to address the effects of that violence, Recognizing further the need to promote the early, full, effective and meaningful participation of women and girls, including victims and survivors of violence, in the conceptualization, development and implementation of intersectional gender-responsive policies, regulations and legislation designed to prevent and eliminate all forms of violence against women and girls, Reaffirming women’s and girls’ economic and social rights, and emphasizing the significant role that women play in economic and social development and in the eradication of poverty, and that sustainable development will only be achievable with women’s economic 3