Plan International - Girls' Rights Platform - Girls' rights are human rights: Positioning girls at the heart of the international agenda

[The Commission urges governments, at all levels[...] to take the following actions:] [Strengthening implementation of legal and policy frameworks and accountability]: Ensure women's and girls' unimpeded access to justice and to effective legal assistance so that they can make informed decisions regarding, inter alia, legal proceedings and issues relating to family law and criminal law, and also ensure that they have access to just and effective remedies for the harm that they have suffered, including through the adoption of national legislation where necessary;

[The Commission urges governments, at all levels[...] to take the following actions:] [Strengthening implementation of legal and policy frameworks and accountability]: Review and where appropriate, revise, amend or abolish all laws, regulations, policies, practices and customs that discriminate against women or have a discriminatory impact on women, and ensure that the provisions of multiple legal systems, where they exist, comply with international human rights obligations, commitments and principles, including the principle of non-discrimination;

[The Commission urges governments, at all levels[...] to take the following actions:] [Strengthening implementation of legal and policy frameworks and accountability]: Mainstream a gender perspective into all legislation, policies and programmes, and allocate adequate financial and human resources, including through the expanded use of gender-responsive planning and budgeting, taking into account the needs and circumstances of women and girls, including victims and survivors of violence, for the development, adoption and full implementation of relevant laws, policies and programmes to address discrimination and violence against women and girls and for support to women's organizations;

[The Commission urges governments, at all levels[...] to take the following actions:] [Strengthening implementation of legal and policy frameworks and accountability]: Increase the investment in gender equality and the empowerment of women and girls, taking into account the diversity of needs and circumstances of women and girls including victims and survivors of violence, including through mainstreaming a gender perspective in resource allocation and ensuring the necessary human, financial and material resources for specific targeted activities to ensure gender equality at the local, national, regional and international levels, as well through enhanced and increased international cooperation;

[The Commission urges governments, at all levels[...] to take the following actions:] [Strengthening implementation of legal and policy frameworks and accountability]: Develop and implement effective multisectoral national policies, strategies and programmes, with the full and effective participation of women and girls, which include measures for prevention, protection and support services and responses; data collection, research, monitoring and evaluation; the establishment of coordination mechanisms; allocation of adequate financial and human resources; independent national monitoring and accountability mechanisms; and clear timelines and national benchmarks for results to be achieved;

[The Commission urges governments, at all levels[...] to take the following actions:] [Strengthening implementation of legal and policy frameworks and accountability]: Ensure that in armed conflict and post-conflict situations the prevention of and response to all forms of violence against women and girls, including sexual and gender-based violence, are prioritized and effectively addressed, including as appropriate through the investigation, prosecution and punishment of perpetrators to end impunity, removal of barriers to women's access to justice, the establishment of complaint and reporting mechanisms, the provision of support to victims and survivors, affordable and accessible health-care services, including sexual and reproductive health, and reintegration measures; and take steps to increase women's participation in conflict resolution and peacebuilding processes and post-conflict decision-making;

[The Commission urges governments, at all levels[...] to take the following actions:] [Strengthening implementation of legal and policy frameworks and accountability]: Ensure accountability for the killing, maiming and targeting of women and girls and crimes of sexual violence, as prohibited under international law, stressing the need for the exclusion of such crimes from amnesty provisions in the context of conflict resolution processes, and address such acts in all stages of the armed-conflict and post-conflict resolution process, including through transitional justice mechanisms, while taking steps to ensure the full and effective participation of women in such processes;

[The Commission urges governments, at all levels[...] to take the following actions:] [Strengthening implementation of legal and policy frameworks and accountability]: End impunity by ensuring accountability and punishing perpetrators of the most serious crimes against women and girls under national and international law, and stressing the need for the alleged perpetrators of those crimes to be held accountable under national justice or, where applicable, international justice;

[The Commission urges governments, at all levels[...] to take the following actions:] [Strengthening implementation of legal and policy frameworks and accountability]: Underline commitments to strengthen national efforts, including with the support of international cooperation, aimed at addressing the rights and needs of women and girls affected by natural disasters, armed conflicts, other complex humanitarian emergencies, trafficking in persons and terrorism, within the context of actions geared to addressing and eliminating violence against women and girls and the realization of the internationally agreed goals and commitments related to gender equality and the empowerment of women, including the Millennium Development Goals; and also underline the need to take concerted actions in conformity with international law to remove the obstacles to the full realization of the rights of women and girls living under foreign occupation, so as to ensure the achievement of the above-mentioned goals and commitments;

[The Commission urges governments, at all levels[...] to take the following actions:] [Strengthening implementation of legal and policy frameworks and accountability]: Ensure that the specific needs of women and girls are incorporated into the planning, delivery and monitoring of, and infrastructure for, disaster risk reduction programmes and protocols and humanitarian assistance to address natural disasters, including those induced by climate change such as extreme weather events and slow onset impacts, with their full participation, and that in disaster preparedness efforts and in post-disaster settings, the prevention of and response to all forms of violence against women and girls, including sexual violence, are prioritized and adequately addressed;

[The Commission urges governments, at all levels[...] to take the following actions:] [Strengthening implementation of legal and policy frameworks and accountability]: Strengthen bilateral, regional and international cooperation, by consolidating existing mechanisms and developing new initiatives consistent with the United Nations Convention on Transnational Organized Crime and its supplementary Protocol to Prevent, Suppress and Punish Trafficking in Persons, Especially Women and Children, and by implementing the United Nations Global Plan of Action to Combat Trafficking in Persons;

[The Commission urges governments, at all levels[...] to take the following actions:] [Strengthening implementation of legal and policy frameworks and accountability]: Strengthen international cooperation, including through the fulfilment of international official development assistance commitments, that supports multisectoral policies, strategies, programmes and best practices, in accordance with national priorities aimed at achieving sustainable development and the realization of the empowerment of women, particularly towards ending violence against women and girls and promoting gender equality;

[The Commission urges governments, at all levels[...] to take the following actions:] [Addressing structural and underlying causes and risk factors so as to prevent violence against women and girls]: Mobilize communities and institutions to address and change attitudes, behaviours and practices that perpetuate and condone gender stereotypes and all forms of discrimination and violence against women and girls, by engaging with women's and youth organizations, national machineries for the advancement of women, national human rights institutions where they exist, schools, educational and media institutions and others directly working with women and girls, men and boys and with individuals at all levels of society and in all settings, religious and community leaders and elders, teachers and parents;

[The Commission urges governments, at all levels[...] to take the following actions:] [Addressing structural and underlying causes and risk factors so as to prevent violence against women and girls]: Promote and protect the human rights of all women, including their right to have control over and decide freely and responsibly on matters related to their sexuality, including sexual and reproductive health, free of coercion, discrimination and violence; and adopt and accelerate the implementation of laws, policies and programmes which protect and enable the enjoyment of all human rights and fundamental freedoms, including their reproductive rights in accordance with the Programme of Action of the International Conference on Population and Development, the Beijing Platform for Action and their review outcomes;

[The Commission urges governments, at all levels[...] to take the following actions:] [Addressing structural and underlying causes and risk factors so as to prevent violence against women and girls]: Develop and implement gender-sensitive policies, strategies, programmes and measures which promote greater understanding and recognition that caregiving is a critical societal function, and encourage the equal sharing of responsibilities and chores between men and women in caregiving, including for persons with disabilities, older persons and people living with HIV, as well as for child-rearing, parenting and domestic work; and also work to change attitudes that reinforce the division of labour based on gender, in order to promote shared family responsibility for work in the home and reduce the domestic work burden for women and girls;

[The Commission urges governments, at all levels[...] to take the following actions:] [Addressing structural and underlying causes and risk factors so as to prevent violence against women and girls]: Engage, educate, encourage and support men and boys to take responsibility for their behaviour, to ensure that men and adolescent boys take responsibility for their sexual and reproductive behaviour, and to refrain from all forms of discrimination and violence against women and girls; develop, invest in and implement policies, strategies and programmes, including comprehensive education programmes to increase their understanding of the harmful effects of violence and how it undermines gender equality and human dignity, promote respectful relationships, provide positive role models for gender equality and encourage men and boys to take an active part and become strategic partners and allies in the prevention and elimination of all forms of discrimination and violence against women and girls;

[The Commission urges governments, at all levels[...] to take the following actions:] [Addressing structural and underlying causes and risk factors so as to prevent violence against women and girls]: Review, enact and strictly enforce laws and regulations concerning the minimum legal age of consent and the minimum age for marriage, raising the minimum age for marriage where necessary, and generate social support for the enforcement of these laws in order to end the practice of child, early and forced marriage;

[The Commission urges governments, at all levels[...] to take the following actions:] [Addressing structural and underlying causes and risk factors so as to prevent violence against women and girls]: Ensure the provision of viable alternatives and institutional support, including for girls who are already married and/or pregnant, especially educational opportunities with an emphasis on keeping girls in school through post-primary education and promoting the empowerment of girls through improving educational quality and ensuring safe and hygienic conditions in schools, physical access to education, including by establishing safe residential facilities and childcare, and increasing financial incentives to women and their families where necessary;

[The Commission urges governments, at all levels[...] to take the following actions:] [Addressing structural and underlying causes and risk factors so as to prevent violence against women and girls]: Develop policies and programmes, giving priority to formal and informal education programmes that support girls and enable them to acquire knowledge, develop self-esteem and take responsibility for their own lives, including access to a sustainable livelihood; and place special focus on programmes to educate women and men, especially parents and caregivers, on the importance of the physical and mental health and well-being of girls, including the elimination of child, early and forced marriage, violence against women and girls, female genital mutilation, child sexual exploitation, including commercial sexual exploitation, sexual abuse, rape, incest and abduction, and the elimination of discrimination against girls such as in food allocation;

[The Commission urges governments, at all levels[...] to take the following actions:] [Addressing structural and underlying causes and risk factors so as to prevent violence against women and girls]: Develop and support existing policies and programmes targeting children and young people, especially women, who have experienced or witnessed domestic violence or sexual abuse, including protection for children in the justice system, so as to reduce the risk of their possible revictimization or perpetration of violence and restore their health; and implement such programmes in a gender-responsive manner with the meaningful participation of young people, civil society and women's and youth organizations, and educational and health institutions;

[The Commission urges governments, at all levels[...] to take the following actions:] [Addressing structural and underlying causes and risk factors so as to prevent violence against women and girls]: Improve the safety of girls at, and on the way to and from, school, including by establishing a safe and violence-free environment by improving infrastructure such as transportation and providing separate and adequate sanitation facilities, improved lighting, playgrounds and safe environments; adopting national policies to prohibit, prevent and address violence against children, especially girls, including sexual harassment and bullying and other forms of violence, through measures such as conducting violence prevention activities in schools and communities, and establishing and enforcing penalties for violence against girls;

[The Commission urges governments, at all levels[...] to take the following actions:] [Addressing structural and underlying causes and risk factors so as to prevent violence against women and girls]: Take measures to ensure that all workplaces are free from discrimination and exploitation, violence, and sexual harassment and bullying, and that they address discrimination and violence against women and girls, as appropriate, through measures such as regulatory and oversight frameworks and reforms, collective agreements, codes of conduct, including appropriate disciplinary measures, protocols and procedures, referral of cases of violence to health services for treatment and police for investigation; as well as through awareness-raising and capacity-building, in collaboration with employers, unions and workers, including workplace services and flexibility for victims and survivors;

[The Commission urges governments, at all levels[...] to take the following actions:] [Addressing structural and underlying causes and risk factors so as to prevent violence against women and girls]: Increase measures to protect women and girls from violence and harassment, including sexual harassment and bullying, in both public and private spaces, to address security and safety, through awareness-raising, involvement of local communities, crime prevention laws, policies, programmes such as the Safe Cities Initiative of the United Nations, improved urban planning, infrastructures, public transport and street lighting, and also through social and interactive media;

[The Commission urges governments, at all levels[...] to take the following actions:] [Addressing structural and underlying causes and risk factors so as to prevent violence against women and girls]: Condemn and take action to prevent violence against women and girls in health-care settings, including sexual harassment, humiliation and forced medical procedures, or those conducted without informed consent, and which may be irreversible, such as forced hysterectomy, forced caesarean section, forced sterilization, forced abortion, and forced use of contraceptives, especially for particularly vulnerable and disadvantaged women and girls, such as those living with HIV, women and girls with disabilities, indigenous and Afro-descendent women and girls, pregnant adolescents and young mothers, older women, and women and girls from national or ethnic minorities;

[The Commission urges governments, at all levels[...] to take the following actions:] [Addressing structural and underlying causes and risk factors so as to prevent violence against women and girls]: Further adopt and implement measures to ensure the social and legal inclusion and protection of women migrants, including women migrant workers in origin, transit and destination countries, and promote and protect the full realization of their human rights, and their protection against violence and exploitation; implement gender-sensitive policies and programmes for women migrant workers and provide safe and legal channels that recognize their skills and education, provide fair labour conditions, and as appropriate facilitate their productive employment and decent work as well as integration into the labour force;

[The Commission urges governments, at all levels[...] to take the following actions:] [Strengthening multisectoral services, programmes and responses to violence against women and girls]: (ddd) Establish comprehensive, coordinated, interdisciplinary, accessible and sustained multisectoral services, programmes and responses at all levels, and with the support of all available technologies, for all victims and survivors of all forms of violence against women and girls based on their needs, that are adequately resourced and include effective and coordinated action by, as appropriate, police and the justice sector, legal aid services, health-care services, including sexual and reproductive health, and medical, psychological and other counselling services, including specialist services as appropriate, State and independent women's shelters and counselling centres, 24-hour hotlines, social aid services, one-stop crisis centres, immigration services, child services, public housing services to provide low threshold, easy to reach and safe assistance for women and children, as well as assistance, protection and support through access to long-term accommodation, educational, employment and economic opportunities, and take steps to ensure the safety and security of health-care workers and service providers who assist and support victims and survivors of violence, and in cases of girl child victims ensure that such services and responses take into account the best interests of the child;

[The Commission urges governments, at all levels[...] to take the following actions:] [Strengthening multisectoral services, programmes and responses to violence against women and girls]: Further take measures to coordinate services through the establishment of processes for referral between services of victims and survivors while ensuring their confidentiality and safety, establish national benchmarks and timelines, and monitor their progress and implementation; as well as ensure access to coordinated multisectoral services, programmes and responses for all women and girls at risk of or subjected to violence;

[The Commission urges governments, at all levels[...] to take the following actions:] [Strengthening multisectoral services, programmes and responses to violence against women and girls]: Ensure the availability and accessibility for victims and survivors and their children of services, programmes and opportunities, for their full recovery and reintegration into society, as well as full access to justice, including for those subjected to domestic violence and other forms of violence, by putting in place measures, and where these exist, expanding such measures; and ensure the provision of adequate and timely information on available support services and legal measures, when possible in a language that they understand and in which they can communicate;

[The Commission urges governments, at all levels[...] to take the following actions:] [Strengthening multisectoral services, programmes and responses to violence against women and girls]: (ggg) Create, develop and implement a set of policies, and support the establishment of rehabilitative services, in order to encourage and bring changes in the attitudes and behaviours of perpetrators of violence against women and girls and to reduce the likelihood of reoffending, including in cases of domestic violence, rape and harassment, as well as monitor and assess their impact and effect;

[The Commission urges governments, at all levels[...] to take the following actions:] [Strengthening implementation of legal and policy frameworks and accountability]: Take appropriate measures to ensure the human rights and protection of women and girls deprived of their liberty and/or under State custody or State care from all forms of violence, in particular sexual abuse;