International Youth Day-August 12, 2006-Girls & Young Women

Girls and Young Women

Learn what governments commited to in 1995: The World Programme of Action for Youth on Girls and Young Women (A/RES/50/81)
2I. Girls and young women

98. One of the most important tasks of youth policy is to improve the situation of girls and young women. Governments therefore should implement their obligations under international human rights instruments as well as implementing the Platform for Action of the Fourth World Conference on Women, 5/ the Programme of Action of the International Conference on Population and Development, 3/ the Vienna Declaration and Programme of Action of the World Conference on Human Rights 7/ and other programmes of relevant United Nations conferences. Girls are often treated as inferior and are socialized to put themselves last, thus undermining their self-esteem. Discrimination and neglect in childhood can initiate a lifelong downward spiral of deprivation and exclusion from the social mainstream. Negative cultural attitudes and practices as well as gender-biased educational processes including curricula, educational materials and practices, teachers’ attitudes and classroom interaction, reinforce existing gender inequalities.

Proposals for action

1. Discrimination

99. Discrimination and neglect in childhood can initiate a lifelong exclusion from society. Action should be taken to eliminate discrimination against girls and young women and to ensure their full enjoyment of human rights and fundamental freedoms through comprehensive policies, plans of action and programmes on the basis of equality. Initiatives should be taken to prepare girls to participate actively, effectively and equally with boys at all levels of social, economic, political and cultural leadership.

2. Education

100. Universal and equal access to and completion of primary education for girls and young women as well as equal access to secondary and higher education should be ensured. A framework should be provided for the development of educational materials and practices that are gender balanced and promote an educational setting that eliminates all barriers impeding the schooling of girls and young women, including married and/or pregnant girls and young women.

3. Health

101. Discrimination against girls and young women should be eliminated in health and nutrition. The removal of discriminatory laws and practices against girls and young women in food allocation and nutrition should be promoted, and their access to health services should be ensured in accordance with the Programme of Action of the International Conference on Population and Development and the Platform for Action of the Fourth World Conference on Women.

4. Employment

102. Girls and young women should be protected from economic and related forms of exploitation and from performing any work that is likely to be hazardous, to interfere with their education or to be harmful to their health or their physical, mental, spiritual, moral or social development, in conformity with the Convention of the Rights of the Child 11/ and the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women. 12/ Equal access for young women to all employment opportunities should be promoted and their participation in the traditionally male-dominated sectors should be encouraged.

5. Violence

103. Governments should cooperate at the international level and enact and enforce legislation protecting girls and young women from all forms of violence, including female infanticide and prenatal sex selection, genital mutilation, incest, sexual abuse, sexual exploitation, child prostitution and child pornography. Age appropriate, safe and confidential programmes and support services to assist girls and young women who are subjected to violence should be developed in cooperation with relevant non-governmental organizations, particularly youth organizations, as appropriate.

World Youth Report 2005

4. Girls and young women

89. Gender discrimination and stereotyping continue to limit the full development and access to services of girls and young women. Education improves the social and economic equality of young women, yet 65 million girls still remain out of school worldwide.³⁰ Five million women aged 15-19 have abortions every year, 40 per cent of which are performed under unsafe conditions.³¹ Studies researching young people's understanding of AIDS-related issues found that while both sexes were vastly uninformed, the level of unawareness was particularly high for girls aged 15- 19 years. In almost all regions, young women fare worse than young men in indicators of labour market status.

90. Without gender parity in such key areas as education, health and employment, the goals of the World Programme of Action for Youth and the Millennium Declaration will not be achieved or sustained. Gender analysis and awareness must be incorporated into all strategies undertaken to address the priorities of the World Programme of Action for Youth.

91. Violence continues to be perpetrated against girls and young women worldwide. Physical and sexual abuse affect millions of girls and women, yet these incidents are seriously underreported. In some African countries, more than half of all women and girls have undergone female genital mutilation; its prevalence has not yet seen a significant decline. Women and girls comprise half of the world's refugees and, as refugees, are particularly vulnerable to sexual violence.³² Governments must enact and enforce legislation protecting girls and young women from all forms of violence. Particular attention should be paid to preventive measures regarding female infanticide and prenatal sex selection, genital mutilation, incest, sexual abuse, sexual exploitation, child prostitution and child pornography. There exists a strong need to develop age-appropriate safe and confidential programmes, as well as medical, social and psychological support services to assist girls who are subjected to violence.

92. Stereotyping and discrimination also limit the full participation of girls and young women in society, including civil society activities. Both traditional and webbased media continue to propagate stereotypes that often objectify young women and encourage restrictive ideas about their roles in society. Young people themselves must continue to be made aware of the harmful impact of gender barriers imposed by cultural beliefs, perceived roles and traditional practices so that they can practice equality. Governments and international and non-governmental organizations should provide access for girls and young women to training, information and media on social, cultural, economic and political issues and enable them to articulate their views. Non-governmental organizations, in particular youth organizations, must be supported in their efforts to promote the equality and participation of girls in society.

Footnotes:

30. See UNICEF, The State of the World’s Children 2004 (New York, 2003).
31. See UNFPA, A Time Between: Health, Sexuality and Reproductive Rights of Young People (New York, 1999) (United Nations publication, Sales No. 99.III.H2).
32. United Nations, The World’s Women 2000: Trends and Statistics (United Nations publication, Sales No. 00.XVII.14).