Draft Platform for Action
L. [Persistent discrimination against and violation of the rights of] [Survival, protection and development of] the girl child
Strategic objective L.2. Eliminate negative cultural attitudes and practices against girls
Actions to be taken
276. By Governments:
(a) Encourage and support, as appropriate, non-governmental organizations and community-based organizations in their efforts to promote changes in negative attitudes and practices towards girls;
(b) Set up educational programmes and develop teaching materials and textbooks that will sensitize and inform adults about the harmful effects of certain traditional or customary practices on girl children;
(c) Develop and adopt curricula, teaching materials and textbooks to improve the self-image, lives and work opportunities of girls, particularly in areas where women have traditionally been underrepresented, such as mathematics, science and technology;
(d) [Take steps so that the traditional and religious attire [and practices] of girls is [are] not a basis for discrimination in educational institutions.]
277. By Governments and international and non-governmental organizations [as appropriate]:
(a) Promote an educational setting that eliminates all barriers that impede the schooling of married and/or pregnant girls and young mothers, including, as appropriate, affordable and physically accessible child-care facilities and parental education to encourage those who have responsibilities for the care of their children and siblings during their school years to return to, or continue with, and complete schooling;
(b) Encourage educational institutions and the media to adopt and project balanced and non-stereotyped images of girls and boys, and work to eliminate child pornography and degrading and violent portrayals of the girl child;
(c) [Eliminate all forms of discrimination against the girl child and the root causes of son preference, which result in harmful and unethical practices such as female infanticide and prenatal sex selection; this is often compounded by the increasing use of technologies to determine foetal sex, resulting in abortion of female foetuses;]
(d) Develop policies and programmes, giving priority to formal and informal education programmes that support and enable girls to acquire knowledge, develop self-esteem and take responsibility for their own lives; place special focus on programmes to educate women and men, especially parents, on the importance of girl's physical and mental health and well-being, including the elimination of discrimination against girls in food allocation, early marriage, violence against girls, female genital mutilation, child prostitution, [sexual abuse, rape and incest].
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