Urges all States to enact and enforce legislation protecting girls from all forms of violence, including female infanticide and prenatal sex selection, female genital mutilation, incest, sexual abuse, sexual exploitation, child prostitution and child pornography, and to develop age-appropriate safe and confidential programmes and medical, social and psychological support services to assist girls who are subjected to violence; calls upon all States and international and non-governmental organizations: (a) to set goals and to develop and implement gender-sensitive strategies to address the rights and needs of children, to take into account the rights and particular needs of the girl child, especially in education, health and nutrition, and to eliminate negative cultural attitudes and practices against the girl child; (b) to generate social support for the enforcement of laws on the minimum legal age for marriage, in particular by providing educational opportunities for girls; (c) to give attention to the rights and needs of adolescent girls; (d) to take measures to increase awareness of the potential of the girl child and to promote gender-sensitive socialization of boys and girls from early childhood; (e) to ensure the equal participation of girls and young women on the basis of non-discrimination and as partners with boys and young men; (f) to strengthen and reorient health education and health services, in particular primary health care, including sexual and reproductive health, and to design quality health programmes that meet the physical and mental needs of girls and attend to the needs of young expectant and nursing mothers; encourages States to consider ways and means to ensure the continuing education of married women, pregnant women and young mother; urges States to take special measures to protect girls from rape and other forms of sexual abuse and gender-based violence in situations of armed conflict.

Adopted without vote, 82nd meeting

5 p.

Adopted at the 82nd plenary meeting, 12 Dec. 1996.