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The right of the child to the enjoyment of the highest attainable standard of health 2013, para. 9
- Paragraph text
- Gender-based discrimination is particularly pervasive, affecting a wide range of outcomes, from female infanticide/foeticide to discriminatory infant and young child feeding practices, gender stereotyping and access to services. Attention should be given to the differing needs of girls and boys, and the impact of gender-related social norms and values on the health and development of boys and girls. Attention also needs to be given to harmful gender-based practices and norms of behaviour that are ingrained in traditions and customs and undermine the right to health of girls and boys.
- Legal status
- Non-negotiated soft law
- Body
- Committee on the Rights of the Child
- Document type
- General Comment / Recommendation
- Topic(s)
- Equality & Inclusion
- Gender
- Health
- Person(s) affected
- Boys
- Children
- Girls
- Youth
- Year
- 2013
Paragraph
Eliminating discrimination against women in the area of health and safety, with a focus on the instrumentalization of women's bodies 2016, para. 97
- Paragraph text
- A growing number of States worldwide have confirmed their commitment to comprehensive sexuality education as an essential priority for achieving national development, health and education goals. In its resolution 70/137, the General Assembly called upon all States to develop and implement educational programmes and teaching materials, as well as teacher education and training programmes for both formal and non-formal education, including comprehensive evidence-based education on human sexuality, based on full and accurate information, for all adolescents and youth; to modify the social and cultural patterns of conduct of men and women of all ages; to eliminate prejudices; and to promote and build decision-making, communication and risk reduction skills for the development of respectful relationships based on gender equality and human rights.
- Legal status
- Non-negotiated soft law
- Body
- Working Group on the issue of discrimination against women in law and practice
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Education
- Equality & Inclusion
- Gender
- Health
- Person(s) affected
- Adolescents
- Men
- Women
- Youth
- Year
- 2016
Paragraph
Centrality of the right to adequate housing for the development and implementation of the New Urban Agenda to be adopted at Habitat III in October 2016 2015, para. 49
- Paragraph text
- In some situations, children and youth, including lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and intersex youth, and women can be vulnerable to violence, requiring access to safe housing and basic services if they are to thrive in the urban context. These groups are often forced into homelessness by sexual and other violence, socioeconomic deprivation, and religious and cultural intolerance within their homes or communities. A sound housing structure does not guarantee safety within housing for these vulnerable groups. When women, children and youth leave their homes, they require both short- and long-term support to secure adequate housing, as they often lack the means to secure housing themselves. In this regard, diverse, culturally appropriate options must be made available.
- Legal status
- Non-negotiated soft law
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on adequate housing as a component of the right to an adequate standard of living
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Equality & Inclusion
- Gender
- Social & Cultural Rights
- Person(s) affected
- Children
- LGBTQI+
- Women
- Youth
- Year
- 2015
Paragraph
Human rights based approach to recovery from the global economic and financial crises, with a focus on those living in poverty 2011, para. 75
- Paragraph text
- The obligations of non-discrimination and equality oblige States to ensure that employment creation policies benefit all sectors of society equally. Policies that increase the employability (for example, through demand-driven skills development and vocational training) of groups that face specific barriers in their access to employment, such as women, persons with disabilities, young people and indigenous populations, will assist States in fulfilling their human rights obligations. To remove obstacles to employment for women, States should ensure the availability of care services (from the State, the community and the market), the redistribution of paid and unpaid work from a gender perspective and the elimination of all forms of gender discrimination. States are not only obliged to undertake effective legislation to this end, but also to take measures to modify social and cultural patterns of conduct of men and women.
- Legal status
- Non-negotiated soft law
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on extreme poverty and human rights
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Economic Rights
- Equality & Inclusion
- Gender
- Person(s) affected
- Ethnic minorities
- Persons with disabilities
- Women
- Youth
- Year
- 2011
Paragraph
Comprehensive, rights-based and child-centred care, recovery and reintegration programmes 2015, para. 28
- Paragraph text
- Research shows that girls account for the majority of documented victims of sexual exploitation. However, the fact that boys are also victims cannot be disregarded. Similarly, children who identify as transgender are extremely vulnerable to sexual exploitation. In the United States of America, lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and intersex youth are disproportionately represented in runaway and homeless youth programmes and child welfare systems and 42 per cent of them have been sexually exploited. A 2006 study in Cambodia found that 80 per cent of interviewed victims of street-based sexual exploitation were male. In Taiwan Province of China, the number of boys being prostituted discovered through social networking sites peaked in 2008. In Ethiopia, a study revealed that male children are specifically targeted for prostitution on the basis of the belief that anal intercourse is less likely to transmit HIV/AIDS. A recent study in the United Kingdom found that one third of children accessing specialist sexual exploitation services were male.
- Legal status
- Non-negotiated soft law
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on the sale and sexual exploitation of children, including child prostitution, child pornography and other child sexual abuse material
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Gender
- Violence
- Person(s) affected
- Boys
- Children
- Girls
- LGBTQI+
- Youth
- Year
- 2015
Paragraph
Gender equality in the realization of the human rights to water and sanitation 2016, para. 29
- Paragraph text
- The fact that in many instances women and girls risk being harassed when they relieve themselves in the open or in public facilities is partly due to the structural and systematic use of stereotypes and stigma. The promotion of awareness-raising campaigns, targeted education programmes and discussion groups, among other measures, to transform both men's and women's perceptions of gender roles is therefore encouraged. Gender-based violence must be prevented and investigated, and those responsible must be prosecuted, in order to break patterns of societal acceptance of exclusion and violence based on gender norms. Recognizing that young people may grow up to be change makers, curricula in all schools should challenge gender stereotypes and encourage critical thinking.
- Legal status
- Non-negotiated soft law
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on the human rights to safe drinking water and sanitation
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Education
- Equality & Inclusion
- Gender
- Person(s) affected
- Girls
- Men
- Women
- Youth
- Year
- 2016
Paragraph
Sexual and reproductive health and rights of girls and young women with disabilities 2017, para. 34
- Paragraph text
- Girls and young women with disabilities are disproportionately affected by different forms of gender-based violence, including physical, sexual, psychological and emotional abuse; bullying; coercion; arbitrary deprivation of liberty; institutionalization; female infanticide; trafficking; neglect; domestic violence; and harmful practices such as child and forced marriage, female genital mutilation, forced sterilization and invasive and irreversible involuntary treatments (see A/HRC/20/5, paras. 12-27). Many of those forms of violence are a consequence of the intersection between disability and gender, and might happen while a girl or young woman with disabilities performs daily hygiene, receives treatment or is overmedicated. Gender-based violence occurs at home, in institutions, in schools, in health centres and in other public and private facilities, and perpetrators are frequently relatives, caregivers and professionals on whom the girl or young woman may depend.
- Legal status
- Non-negotiated soft law
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on the rights of persons with disabilities
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Gender
- Harmful Practices
- Violence
- Person(s) affected
- Girls
- Persons with disabilities
- Women
- Youth
- Year
- 2017
Paragraph
Women in conflict prevention, conflict and post-conflict situations 2013, para. 69f
- Paragraph text
- [The Committee recommends that States parties:] Ensure that disarmament, demobilization and reintegration processes specifically address women's distinct needs in order to provide age-specific and gender-specific disarmament, demobilization and reintegration support, including by addressing the specific concerns of young mothers and their children without targeting them excessively and exposing them to further stigma.
- Legal status
- Non-negotiated soft law
- Body
- Committee on the Elimination of Discrimination against Women
- Document type
- General Comment / Recommendation
- Topic(s)
- Equality & Inclusion
- Gender
- Humanitarian
- Person(s) affected
- Children
- Women
- Youth
- Year
- 2013
Paragraph
The right of the child to the enjoyment of the highest attainable standard of health 2013, para. 10
- Paragraph text
- All policies and programmes affecting children's health should be grounded in a broad approach to gender equality that ensures young women's full political participation; social and economic empowerment; recognition of equal rights related to sexual and reproductive health; and equal access to information, education, justice and security, including the elimination of all forms of sexual and gender-based violence.
- Legal status
- Non-negotiated soft law
- Body
- Committee on the Rights of the Child
- Document type
- General Comment / Recommendation
- Topic(s)
- Equality & Inclusion
- Gender
- Health
- Person(s) affected
- Children
- Women
- Youth
- Year
- 2013
Paragraph
Right to health and criminalization of same-sex conduct and sexual orientation, sex-work and HIV transmission 2010, para. 28
- Paragraph text
- The Joint United Nations Programme on HIV/AIDS (UNAIDS) defines sex workers as "female, male and transgender adults and young people who receive money or goods in exchange for sexual services, either regularly or occasionally, and who may or may not consciously define those activities as income-generating". It is noted, however, that no single term adequately covers the range of transactions worldwide that involve sex work (the term "sex worker" is increasingly used within the sector, as it is considered less stigmatizing and a better descriptor of workers' experiences than the word "prostitute").
- Legal status
- Non-negotiated soft law
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on the right of everyone to the enjoyment of the highest attainable standard of physical and mental health
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Equality & Inclusion
- Gender
- Health
- Person(s) affected
- LGBTQI+
- Youth
- Year
- 2010
Paragraph
Elements of a safe and enabling environment for human rights defenders 2014, para. 90
- Paragraph text
- Throughout her mandate, the Special Rapporteur has highlighted the need to pay particular attention to addressing the needs of human rights defenders who face extraordinary risks due to the work that they do and the contexts in which they operate. In this connection, the Special Rapporteur has focused on the situation of selected groups of human rights defenders who are at particular risk of violations, including judges and lawyers; journalists and media workers; trade unionists; youth and student defenders, those working on sexual orientation and gender identity; and defenders working on environment and land issues (A/HRC/19/55).
- Legal status
- Non-negotiated soft law
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights defenders
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Environment
- Gender
- Person(s) affected
- Activists
- Youth
- Year
- 2014
Paragraph
Comprehensive child protection systems 2011, para. 49d
- Paragraph text
- [Preventive measures must include steps to promote sustainable education and awareness-raising, including by:] Making available in schools sex education programmes that provide information on healthy sexual development, safe sex and reproduction, and emphasize gender equality, self-respect, empowerment and respect for others. In the absence of such programmes, the proliferation of images and videos through information and communications technologies may shape children's first ideas about sexuality and sexual behaviour, increasing the risk that they will reproduce while still young or become victims of abusive behaviour;
- Legal status
- Non-negotiated soft law
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on the sale and sexual exploitation of children, including child prostitution, child pornography and other child sexual abuse material
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Education
- Equality & Inclusion
- Gender
- Person(s) affected
- Children
- Youth
- Year
- 2011
Paragraph
Violence against women as a barrier to the effective realization of all human rights 2014, para. 40
- Paragraph text
- Preventable maternal mortality in turn leads to additional negative development outcomes as it fuels economic and social inequalities. Generally, preventing and combating illness among women and girls leads to a healthier and more productive population, whereas ill-health diminishes people's personal capacity and ability to contribute to their households, resulting in lost incomes and lower productivity. Furthermore, investing in the health of the largest generation ever of young people, particularly adolescent girls, means investing in the future and sustainable development. Gender-based violence, however, impoverishes women and their families, saps public resources and lowers economic productivity. Therefore, when women and girls experience violence, they are denied access to fundamental human rights, such as education and health, which significantly undercuts their capacity to participate meaningfully in the sustainable development of their communities.
- Legal status
- Non-negotiated soft law
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on violence against women, its causes and consequences
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Equality & Inclusion
- Gender
- Health
- Person(s) affected
- Adolescents
- Girls
- Women
- Youth
- Year
- 2014
Paragraph
SRSG on violence against children: Annual report 2011, para. 75
- Paragraph text
- The West Africa Youth Forum on Violence against Children illustrates the above point well. The Forum held an important meeting in Accra, in September 2010, in which the Special Representative participated. Attended by young people from countries across the region, it provided an excellent platform for sharing experiences, reflecting on critical factors hampering progress and reaffirming a shared commitment to promote change and enhanced collaboration in the prevention and elimination of violence. Discussions with children yielded first-hand accounts of their experience and perspectives on violence, as well as information on significant initiatives conducted in the region and on opportunities for enhancing child participation in the follow-up to the United Nations study.
- Legal status
- Non-negotiated soft law
- Body
- Special Representative of the Secretary-General on violence against children
- Document type
- SRSG report
- Topic(s)
- Gender
- Violence
- Person(s) affected
- Children
- Youth
- Year
- 2011
Paragraph
SRSG on violence against children: Annual report 2013, para. 97
- Paragraph text
- In response to a call made by the Permanent Forum on Indigenous Issues for consolidation of knowledge on violence against indigenous children, the Special Representative joined hands with UNICEF, the United Nations Entity for Gender Equality and the Empowerment of Women (UN-Women), the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) and the International Labour Organization in the development of the study entitled "Breaking the silence on violence against indigenous girls, adolescents and young women: a call to action based on an overview of existing evidence from Africa, Asia Pacific and Latin America" (May 2013).
- Legal status
- Non-negotiated soft law
- Body
- Special Representative of the Secretary-General on violence against children
- Document type
- SRSG report
- Topic(s)
- Gender
- Violence
- Person(s) affected
- Children
- Ethnic minorities
- Girls
- Women
- Youth
- Year
- 2013
Paragraph
Sexual and reproductive health and rights of girls and young women with disabilities 2017, para. 9
- Paragraph text
- For women with disabilities, disability inclusion and gender equality cannot be achieved without addressing their sexual and reproductive health and rights. In particular, girls and young women with disabilities are able to develop their own identities and realize their full potential when their sexual and reproductive health needs and rights are met. That contributes to ensuring their health and well-being, reducing the existing gaps in their access to education and employment and achieving their empowerment. When those needs and rights are not met, they are exposed to unintended pregnancies, sexually transmitted diseases, gender-based violence and sexual abuse, child marriage and other harmful practices that hamper their participation.
- Legal status
- Non-negotiated soft law
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on the rights of persons with disabilities
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Equality & Inclusion
- Gender
- Health
- Person(s) affected
- Girls
- Persons with disabilities
- Women
- Youth
- Year
- 2017
Paragraph
Women migrant workers 2008, para. 11
- Paragraph text
- Women migrant workers may face sex- and gender-based discrimination, including compulsory HIV and AIDS testing for women returnees, moral "rehabilitation" for young women returnees and increased personal and social costs compared to men, without adequate gender-responsive services. For example, men may return to a stable family situation, whereas women may find disintegration of the family upon their return, with their absence from home regarded as the cause of such disintegration. There may also be a lack of protection against reprisals from exploitative recruiting agents.
- Legal status
- Non-negotiated soft law
- Body
- Committee on the Elimination of Discrimination against Women
- Document type
- General Comment / Recommendation
- Topic(s)
- Equality & Inclusion
- Gender
- Movement
- Person(s) affected
- Families
- Men
- Persons on the move
- Women
- Youth
- Year
- 2008
Paragraph
Child participation 2012, para. 47
- Paragraph text
- The "Safer Internet centres" initiative, part of a European Commission programme, works in partnership with panels of young people (children aged from 14 to 17 years) on campaigns, awareness-raising materials and Internet safety. In the Netherlands, for example, Digiraad (http://dedigiraad.nl) is an advisory committee comprising young people who advise the Ministry of Economic Affairs about issues pertaining to Internet safety. They also test information materials to ensure that, as the main target group for these materials, their opinion is taken into account. They post their advice on their website, where other young people can also comment through an online forum.
- Legal status
- Non-negotiated soft law
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on the sale and sexual exploitation of children, including child prostitution, child pornography and other child sexual abuse material
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Equality & Inclusion
- Gender
- Governance & Rule of Law
- Person(s) affected
- Children
- Youth
- Year
- 2012
Paragraph
Manifestations and causes of domestic servitude 2010, para. 34
- Paragraph text
- Domestic bonded labour can be linked to gender-discriminatory cultural practices. Among certain ethnic groups in Ghana and neighbouring countries, for instance, girls as young as 6-10 years old are forced into bonded labour, serving as so-called trokosi or vudusi in the household of priests at local fetish shrines. They are given by their parents to the shrine to pay the shrine for erasing a moral failing or curse attached to the parents. In addition to performing domestic chores and ritual duties at the shrine, a trokosi is usually also expected to work long hours on farmland belonging to the shrine. From puberty, she is expected to endure sexual relations with the fetish priest. Although the Government of Ghana has criminalized the practice, it has not yet been eradicated.
- Legal status
- Non-negotiated soft law
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on contemporary forms of slavery, including its causes and consequences
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Gender
- Harmful Practices
- Social & Cultural Rights
- Person(s) affected
- Families
- Girls
- Youth
- Year
- 2010
Paragraph
Reparations to women who have been subjected to violence 2010, para. 77
- Paragraph text
- In November 2009 the Inter-American Court ruled in what will undoubtedly become a landmark case in the field of reparations for women: Cotton Field v. Mexico. This case concerns the abduction, killing and sexual violence of two minors and a young woman by non-State actors in 2003, and the subsequent failure of the State to diligently investigate, prosecute and punish the perpetrators and to treat the relatives of the deceased in a dignified way. The Court found that the State of Mexico violated the rights to life, freedom, personal integrity, access to justice and legal remedies and the right not to be discriminated against on the grounds of sex under the American Convention. It also considered that Mexico had infringed its obligations by failing to apply due diligence to prevent, investigate and impose penalties for violence against women or its duty to provide adequate responses in the legal system to punish and eradicate violence against women, thereby infringing the Inter-American Convention on the Prevention, Punishment, and Eradication of Violence against Women. This decision is seminal in that it is the first time that the Court has embraced the concept of gender-sensitive reparations with a transformative aspiration. The State of Mexico has been mandated to provide a variety of reparation measures to the victims, including monetary compensation, symbolic redress, and a wide set of future looking guarantees of non-repetition. Family members and closely affiliated persons of the deceased who can be considered as having been harmed and hence deserving of reparations (who in this case included all those who had self-identified as injured parties including the mothers, sisters-in-laws and nieces of the deceased) received reparations.
- Legal status
- Non-negotiated soft law
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on violence against women, its causes and consequences
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Gender
- Governance & Rule of Law
- Violence
- Person(s) affected
- Women
- Youth
- Year
- 2010
Paragraph
State responsibility for eliminating violence against women 2013, para. 32
- Paragraph text
- The campaign of the Secretary-General entitled "UNiTE to End Violence against Women" brings together a host of United Nations agencies and other partners to galvanize action across the United Nations system to respond to and prevent violence against women. UNiTE calls on governments, civil society, women's organizations, young people, the private sector, the media and the entire United Nations system to join forces in addressing the global pandemic of violence against women and girls. UNiTE aims to achieve, by 2015, the following five goals in all countries: adopt and enforce national laws to address and punish all forms of violence against women and girls; adopt and implement multisectoral national action plans; strengthen data collection on the prevalence of violence against women and girls; increase public awareness and social mobilization; and address sexual violence in conflict.
- Legal status
- Non-negotiated soft law
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on violence against women, its causes and consequences
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Gender
- Violence
- Person(s) affected
- Girls
- Women
- Youth
- Year
- 2013
Paragraph
SRSG on violence against children: Annual report 2010, para. 75
- Paragraph text
- The Special Representative has been committed to reach out to children and young people in her meetings and expert discussions at global, regional and national levels. Across regions, children identify violence as a priority concern and inspire a deep sense of urgency; as agents of change, developing child rights clubs and advocacy materials, and engaging in peer education and awareness-raising initiatives, they promote an enhanced understanding of the hidden face of violence and support the development of child-sensitive approaches that enhance the effectiveness of violence prevention and responses.
- Legal status
- Non-negotiated soft law
- Body
- Special Representative of the Secretary-General on violence against children
- Document type
- SRSG report
- Topic(s)
- Gender
- Violence
- Person(s) affected
- Children
- Youth
- Year
- 2010
Paragraph
SRSG on violence against children: Annual report 2012, para. 107
- Paragraph text
- Future initiatives need to be gender-sensitive, informed by children's perspectives and experience, and tailored to children's evolving stages of development. To prevent violence against them in their early years, investment in positive parenting, home visitation and early childhood care and development programmes will remain essential. To capitalize on young people's agency and potential, and prevent their stigmatization and manipulation in violent incidents and criminal activities it will be imperative to empower them with life skills and quality education, and to support their active contribution to a violence-free society.
- Legal status
- Non-negotiated soft law
- Body
- Special Representative of the Secretary-General on violence against children
- Document type
- SRSG report
- Topic(s)
- Gender
- Violence
- Person(s) affected
- Children
- Youth
- Year
- 2012
Paragraph
SRSG on violence against children: Annual report 2015, para. 21
- Paragraph text
- That pervasive pattern explains why violence against children is a major concern for young people. This was captured in the review conducted by the Special Representative, together with civil society partners, of online surveys and more than 80 national consultations held with children around the world on the post-2015 global development agenda. More than 800,000 children joined the process and their message was unambiguous: "Violence is a major obstacle to child development and it urgently needs to be brought to an end!" Across the regions, violence was highlighted as a priority and an area where urgent action is expected from world leaders.
- Legal status
- Non-negotiated soft law
- Body
- Special Representative of the Secretary-General on violence against children
- Document type
- SRSG report
- Topic(s)
- Gender
- Violence
- Person(s) affected
- Children
- Youth
- Year
- 2015
Paragraph
Sexual and reproductive health and rights of girls and young women with disabilities 2017, para. 44
- Paragraph text
- States need to provide comprehensive and non-discriminatory sexuality education to girls and young women with disabilities, both within and outside school (see A/65/162, paras. 62 and 87). It should include information about self-esteem and healthy relationships; sexual and reproductive health, contraception and sexually transmitted diseases; the prevention of sexual and other forms of exploitation, violence and abuse; stigma and prejudices against persons with disabilities; gender roles; and human rights. Indeed, sexuality education has been found to be effective in improving the sexual knowledge and skills of youth with disabilities, and in reducing sexual violence against them. States must ensure that their sexuality education programmes are inclusive of girls and young women with disabilities and their specific needs, and that they are made available in accessible and alternative communication formats. Peer-education programmes are effective ways to enhance knowledge and skills with regard to the sexual and reproductive health and rights of girls and young women with disabilities.
- Legal status
- Non-negotiated soft law
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on the rights of persons with disabilities
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Education
- Gender
- Person(s) affected
- Girls
- Persons with disabilities
- Women
- Youth
- Year
- 2017
Paragraph
Embrace diversity and energize humanity 2017, para. 21
- Paragraph text
- In his first report, the Independent Expert underlined the relationship between sexual orientation and gender identity and other issues, including racism, poverty, migration, disability and other factors. A particular concern to be highlighted here is the plight of children and youth from the perspective of gender diversity. Thus, on the International Day against Homophobia, Transphobia and Biphobia, 17 May 2017, the Independent Expert and a range of United Nations human rights treaty bodies and special procedures, as well as regional mechanisms, issued a joint statement calling for protection of transgender and gender diverse children and adolescents. The following excerpt epitomizes the universal message: We call on States to adopt and implement effective measures prohibiting violence, anti-discrimination laws covering gender identity and expression — real or perceived — as well as sexual orientation as prohibited grounds for discrimination, to develop inclusive curriculums and learning materials, training for and support to teachers and other school staff, education and support programmes for parents, safe and non-discriminatory access to bathrooms, and awareness-raising programmes nurturing respect and understanding for gender diversity. On another front, the mere existence of laws or by-laws criminalizing gender expression including through offences of “cross dressing” or “imitating the opposite sex” and other such discriminatory regulations impact on the liberty and security of these young people, tend to foster a climate where hate speech, violence and discrimination are condoned and perpetrated with impunity. Criminalization and pervasive discrimination in such context lead to the denial of health care, including safe gender affirming procedures, and to the lack of access to information and related services. Pathologizing trans and gender diverse people — branding them as ill based on their gender identity and expression — has historically been, and continues to be, one of the root causes behind the human rights violations against them. We reiterate our call for States to decriminalize and depathologize trans and gender diverse identities and expressions, including for young transgender people, prohibit “conversion therapies” and refrain from adopting new criminalizing laws and pathologizing medical classifications, including in the context of the upcoming review of the International Classification of Diseases. We also call on States to provide equal access to health care and access to gender affirming treatment to those who seek it.
- Legal status
- Non-negotiated soft law
- Body
- Independent Expert on protection against violence and discrimination based on sexual orientation and gender identity
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Equality & Inclusion
- Gender
- Person(s) affected
- Adolescents
- Children
- LGBTQI+
- Youth
- Year
- 2017
Paragraph
Embrace diversity and energize humanity 2017, para. 59i
- Paragraph text
- States should ensure that a variety of stakeholders adopt educational and capacity-building measures in regard to sexual orientation and gender identity to nurture empathy towards the diversity inherent to humanity, from a young age. They should also strengthen capacity-building of law enforcers and related personnel, including through integration of sexual orientation and gender identity into their training and educational curriculum, to enhance understanding for sexual and gender diversity.
- Legal status
- Non-negotiated soft law
- Body
- Independent Expert on protection against violence and discrimination based on sexual orientation and gender identity
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Education
- Equality & Inclusion
- Gender
- Person(s) affected
- Youth
- Year
- 2017
Paragraph
Eliminating discrimination against women in economic and social life with a focus on economic crisis 2014, para. 66
- Paragraph text
- Procurement policies that target women can be a tool to advance women's businesses. In developing countries, governments are the largest buyer of goods and services, accounting for 15-20 per cent of gross domestic product, and yet spend only 1 per cent on sourcing from women-owned businesses. Some countries have begun to tackle the issue. One country from the Western European and other States Group set a mandatory goal of 5 per cent of federal contract spending on women-owned small businesses. An African country put in place Public Procurement and Disposal (Preference and Reservations) Regulations to ensure access to government contracts by enterprises owned by women, youth and persons with disabilities.
- Legal status
- Non-negotiated soft law
- Body
- Working Group on the issue of discrimination against women in law and practice
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Economic Rights
- Equality & Inclusion
- Gender
- Person(s) affected
- Women
- Youth
- Year
- 2014
Paragraph
Sexual education 2010, para. 57
- Paragraph text
- According to a study carried out by the Guttmacher Institute, about half of 15 19-year-olds in Burkina Faso, Ghana, Malawi and Uganda have received some form of sexual education at school. In Malawi, 66 per cent of females and 56 per cent of males aged 15-19 who have attended school report that they have not received any kind of sexual education. In Burkina Faso the challenge is greater, since more than half of 15-19-year-olds have never attended school.56 Also, in the final years of primary education (age 12-14), young people are reaching a sexually active age and therefore need to have specific knowledge on preventing unwanted pregnancy and HIV infection. This suggests that sexual education should start before the end of primary education if it is to have some degree of effectiveness and a chance of changing behaviour.
- Legal status
- Non-negotiated soft law
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on the right to education
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Education
- Gender
- Health
- Person(s) affected
- Youth
- Year
- 2010
Paragraph
Overview of the activities carried during the first three-year term of the mandate 2011, para. 146
- Paragraph text
- We commit to reduce maternal and child mortality and to improve the health of women, youth and children. We reaffirm our commitment to gender equality and to protect the rights of women, men and youth to have control over and decide freely and responsibly on matters related to their sexuality, including access to sexual and reproductive health, free from coercion, discrimination and violence. We will work actively to ensure that health systems provide the necessary information and health services addressing the sexual and reproductive health of women, including by working towards universal access to safe, effective, affordable and acceptable modern methods of family planning, as this is essential for women's health and advancing gender equality.
- Legal status
- Non-negotiated soft law
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on the rights of indigenous peoples
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Equality & Inclusion
- Gender
- Health
- Person(s) affected
- Children
- Ethnic minorities
- Men
- Women
- Youth
- Year
- 2011
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