Universal-Womens-accesss-to-justice-Publications-Practitioners-Guide-Series-2016-ENG

42 PRACTITIONERS GUIDE No. 12
Sexual exploitation of girls. 98
Violence against girls, including all forms of physical or
mental violence, injury or abuse, neglect or negligent
treatment. 99
children, the Committee needs to be provided information on national
laws and practice with regard to domestic and other types of violence
against women, including rape. It also needs to know whether the
State party gives access to safe abortion to women who have become
pregnant as a result of rape. The States parties should also provide
the Committee information on measures to prevent forced abortion or
forced sterilization.” See also Committee against Torture, General
Comment No 2, above note 81, paragraph 22: “The contexts in which
females are at risk [of torture or ill-treatment] include deprivation of
liberty, medical treatment, particularly involving reproductive
decisions, and violence by private actors in communities and homes”.
98
Committee on the Rights of the Child, General Comment No 7,
above note 72, paragraph 36(g); and Optional Protocol to the
Convention on the Rights of the Child on the sale of children, child
prostitution and child pornography.
99
Committee on the Rights of the Child, General Comment No 13,
“The right of the child to freedom from all forms of violence”, UN Doc
CRC/C/GC/13 (2011), paragraphs 4 and 72(b). Paragraph 4 provides:
“For the purposes of the present general comment, “violence” is
understood to mean “all forms of physical or mental violence, injury or
abuse, neglect or negligent treatment, maltreatment or exploitation,
including sexual abuse” as listed in article 19, paragraph 1, of the
Convention. The term violence has been chosen here to represent all
forms of harm to children as listed in article 19, paragraph 1, in
conformity with the terminology used in the 2006 United Nations study
on violence against children, although the other terms used to
describe types of harm (injury, abuse, neglect or negligent treatment,
maltreatment and exploitation) carry equal weight. In common
parlance the term violence is often understood to mean only physical
harm and/or intentional harm. However, the Committee emphasizes
most strongly that the choice of the term violence in the present
general comment must not be interpreted in any way to minimize the
impact of, and need to address, non-physical and/or non-intentional
forms of harm (such as, inter alia, neglect and psychological
maltreatment).” In addressing the gender dimensions of violence
against children, paragraph 72(b) provides: “States parties should
ensure that policies and measures take into account the different risks
facing girls and boys in respect of various forms of violence in various