O Desenvolvimento Sustentável 5

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We must be concerned as well that child, early and forced marriages expose young married girls to a greater risk of HIV and sexually transmitted infections, often lead to early childbearing and increase the risk of disability, stillbirth, obstetric fistula and maternal death, and reduce their opportunities to complete their education, gain comprehensive knowledge or develop employable skills, and violate and impair the full enjoyment of the human rights of women and girls, preventing women and girls from becoming full, contributing members of society,

In UPR (2012) some recommendations are provided as a try to solve those matters, such as the article 119.98 said by Sweden which consists in: “Strengthen domestic cooperation between relevant actors, as well as international cooperation, in order to combat both internal and international trafficking and sexual exploitation of women and children”

Or in CRC (2014) article 44 which provides the following: “The Committee urges the State party to revise its Civil Code to abolish all exceptions to the minimum age of marriage. In the light of its general comment No. 18 (2014) on harmful practices, adopted jointly with the Committee on the Elimination of Discrimination against Women, the Committee also recommends that the State party:

(a) Undertake comprehensive awareness-raising programmes on the negative implications of child marriage on girls’ rights, including in the media, and targeting in particular parents and teachers;

(b) Conduct a comprehensive study on the causes of child marriage and its consequences on girls’ rights to education, health and development, in order to design a strategy to eradicate this practice.”

Recognizing that violence against women has both short- and long-term adverse consequences for their health, including their sexual and reproductive health, and the enjoyment of their human rights, and that respecting and promoting sexual and reproductive health, and protecting and fulfilling reproductive rights in accordance with the Programme of Action of the International Conference on Population and Development, the Beijing Platform for Action and the outcome documents of their review conferences is a necessary condition to achieve gender equality and the empowerment of women to enable them to enjoy all their human rights and fundamental freedoms, and to prevent and mitigate violence against women.

Many international human rights instruments are concerned about this matter. In CEDAW (2012) article 11 for example: “The Committee is concerned about the lack of information regarding the incidence of domestic violence and regrets the absence of specific legal provisions to prevent, combat and eliminate such violence. It is also concerned about the illegal practice of some employers in requiring sterilization certificates as a condition of women’s employment (art. 3).

The State party should adopt, and implement, appropriate criminal and civil laws and policies to prevent and combat domestic violence, and assist the victims. In order to raise public awareness, it should initiate the necessary media campaigns and increase educational programmes. It should also adopt adequate measures, including sanctions, against the impermissible practice of requesting sterilization certificates for employment purposes.”

Or in CRC article 24 which consists in: “The Committee recommends that the State party:

(a) Strengthen its efforts to combat discrimination against and stigmatization and social exclusion of children living in poverty in marginalized urban areas, such as favelas, as well as children in street situations, and Afro-Brazilian and indigenous children and girls;

(b) Enact legislation to prohibit discrimination or the incitement of violence on the basis of sexual orientation and gender identity and continue the Schools without Homophobia project;

(c) Prioritize the elimination of patriarchal attitudes and gender stereotypes, including through educational and awareness-raising programmes.”

The fight for equal human rights, must not fade, and the empowerment of women and girls must me a priority in terms of government, since that periods of political transition provide a unique opportunity to advance women’s equal participation and representation in economic, political and social spheres.