A/RES/70/138 The girl child and effective enjoyment of their human rights, and recognizing further that empowering girls requires their active participation in decision -making processes and as agents of change in their own lives and communities, including through girls’ organizations with the active support and engagement of their parents, legal guardians, families and care providers, boys and men, as well as the wider community, Deeply concerned about all forms of violence against children, in particular the phenomena that disproportionately affect girls, such as commercial sexual exploitation and child pornography, rape, sexual abuse, domestic violence, trafficking in persons and the use of information and communications technology and social media to perpetrate violence against women and girls, and, in ad dition, about the corresponding impunity and lack of accountability, and that violence against women and girls is underrecognized and underreported, particularly at the community level, which reflects discriminatory norms that reinforce the lower status of girls in society, Deeply concerned also about discrimination against the girl child and the violation of the rights of the girl child, including girls with disabilities, which often result in less access for girls to education, and to quality education, nutrition, including food allocation, and physical and mental health-care services, in girls enjoying fewer of the rights, opportunities and benefits of childhood and adolescence than boys, and in leaving them more vulnerable than boys to the consequences of unprotected and premature sexual relations and often being subjected to various forms of cultural, social, sexual and economic exploitation and violence, abuse, rape, incest, honour-related crimes and harmful practices, such as female infanticide, child, early and forced marriage, prenatal sex selection and female genital mutilation, Deeply concerned further that despite its widespread practice, child, early and forced marriage is still underreported, recognizing that this requires further attention and that child, early and forced marriage exposes the girl child to greater risk of HIV and sexually transmitted infections, often leads to premature sexual relations, early pregnancy and early childbearing and increases the risk of obstetric fistula and high levels of maternal mortality and morbidity, and furthermore entails complications during pregnancy and childbirth, which often lead to disability, stillbirth and maternal death, particularly for young women and girls, which require appropriate prenatal and postnatal health-care services for mothers, including in the area of skilled birth attendance and emergency obstetric care, and noting with concern that this reduces girls’ opportunities to complete their education, gain comprehensive knowledge, participate in the community or develop employable skills and is likely to have a long-term adverse impact on their employment opportunities, their quality of life and that of their children, and violates and impairs the full enjoyment of their human rights, Stressing the need for the international community, the relevant United Nations entities, the specialized agencies, civil society and international financial institutions to continue to actively support, through the allocation of enhanced financial resources and technical assistance, targeted comprehensive programmes that address the needs and priorities of child-headed households and the water, sanitation and hygiene needs of the girl child, Emphasizing that increased and equal access to quality education for young people, especially adolescent girls, including in the areas of sexual and reproductive health, as well as health care, hygiene and sanitation, dramatically lowers their 4/12