A/HRC/RES/57/18 consequences are long-lasting and profound and affect many areas in the lives of victims and their communities, Recognizing that women and girls are disproportionately subjected to domestic violence and, throughout their lives, to intimate partner violence, which is a form of violence and, as a term, can be recognized or addressed differently in different national frameworks, deeply concerned that women and girls who face multiple and intersecting forms of discrimination, including those living in rural and remote areas, older women, Indigenous women and girls, migrant women and girls, women and girls of African descent, women and girls belonging to national or ethnic, religious and linguistic minorities and women and girls with disabilities, are at particular risk of domestic violence, and stressing the urgent need to address all forms of violence and discrimination against them, Recognizing also that gender-based violence, including domestic violence, is rooted in historical and structural inequality in power relations between men and women, seriously violates and impairs or nullifies the enjoyment of human rights and fundamental freedoms by women and girls and constitutes a major impediment to their full, equal and meaningful participation in all spheres of society, the economy and, as appropriate, political decisionmaking, Emphasizing that women’s poverty and lack of empowerment, gender stereotypes and negative social norms, as well as women’s marginalization resulting from their exclusion from social and economic policies, political life and the benefits of education and sustainable development, can place them at increased risk of violence, including domestic violence, and that this impedes the social and economic and therefore the sustainable development of communities and States, as well as the achievement of internationally agreed development goals, including those contained in the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, Recognizing, in this context, the importance of respect for all human rights, including civil, political, economic, social and cultural rights, including the right to development, and of a national and international environment that promotes, for women and girls, inter alia, justice, gender equality, equity, civil and political participation and civil, political, economic, social and cultural rights and fundamental freedoms in order to achieve gender equality and the advancement and empowerment of women and girls, Recognizing also that domestic violence against women and children frequently cooccurs within the same households and that exposure to domestic violence, whether as a direct victim or as a witness, has devastating and long-term mental, psychological and physical health impacts on both women and children and that addressing the intersection of violence against women and children is essential for the effective prevention and elimination of domestic violence and the promotion of an equally safe and supportive environment for all family members and caregivers, Concerned that children with disabilities, in particular girls with disabilities, are often at greater risk, both within and outside the home, including in institutions, of stigmatization, discrimination or exclusion and are frequently subjected to domestic violence, injury or abuse, neglect or negligent treatment, maltreatment or exploitation, Deeply concerned about the particular risk of the marginalization of and discrimination, abuse and violence, including domestic violence, against persons with disabilities of all ages, and that persons with disabilities who face domestic violence are frequently more economically, physically or emotionally dependent on their abusers, who often act as caregivers, a situation that prevents persons with disabilities from leaving abusive relationships and leads to further social isolation, Noting with concern that domestic violence against older persons remains overlooked and that the limited understanding of the phenomenon has far-reaching consequences for the mental and physical well-being of millions of older persons worldwide, that many older women face discrimination and violence, including domestic violence, throughout their lives and that power and control dynamics in long-lasting domestic violence situations are exacerbated by age-related inequality and care-related dependencies, which affect their enjoyment of human rights, 2