20. Calls upon all States: (a) To recognize the right to education on the basis of equal opportunity by making primary education available, free and compulsory for all children, by ensuring that all children, particularly girls, children in need of special protection, children with disabilities, indigenous children, children belonging to minorities and children of different ethnic origins, have access without discrimination to education of good quality, as well as making secondary education generally available and accessible for all, in particular by the progressive introduction of free education, bearing in mind that special measures to ensure equal access, including affirmative action, contribute to achieving equal opportunity and combating exclusion; (b) To design and implement programmes to provide social services and support to pregnant adolescents and adolescent mothers, in particular to enable them to continue and complete their education; (c) To take all appropriate measures to prevent racism and discriminatory and xenophobic attitudes and behaviour through education, keeping in mind the important role that children play in changing these practices; (d) To ensure that children, from an early age, benefit from education programmes, materials and activities that develop respect for human rights and reflect fully the values of peace, non-violence against oneself and others, tolerance and gender equality; (e) To harness the rapidly evolving information and communication technologies to support education at an affordable cost, including open and distance education, while reducing inequality in access and quality; (f) To enable children, including adolescents, to exercise their right to express their views freely, the views of the child being given due weight in accordance with age and maturity of the child; The girl child 21. Calls upon all States to take all necessary measures, including legal reforms where appropriate: (a) To ensure the full and equal enjoyment by girls of all human rights and fundamental freedoms, to take effective actions against violations of those rights and freedoms, and to base programmes and policies on the rights of the child, taking into account the special situation of girls; (b) To eliminate all forms of discrimination and violence against girls, including female infanticide and prenatal sex selection, rape, sexual abuse and harmful traditional or customary practices, including female genital mutilation, son preference, marriages without free and full consent of the intending spouses, early marriages and forced sterilization, including addressing their root causes, by enacting and enforcing legislation and, where appropriate, formulating comprehensive, multidisciplinary and coordinated national plans, programmes or strategies protecting girls; page 6