Harmful Practices

Abstract

Harmful practices are a violation of human rights that put women's and adolescents' sexual and reproductive health and rights at great risk. 1 A variety of harmful practices exist, including female genital mutilation (FGM), child and forced marriage, virginity testing and related practices, extreme dietary restrictions, including during pregnancy (force-feeding, food taboos), binding, scarring, branding/ infliction of tribal marks, corporal punishment, stoning, violent initiation rites, widowhood practices, accusations of witchcraft, infanticide, incest and body modifications that are performed for the purpose of beauty or marriageability of girls and women. 2 Harmful practices constitute discrimination against women and girls. 3 They place women and girls' sexual and reproductive health at serious risk. Human rights bodies have repeatedly called on States to protect women,adolescents and children from all harmful practices. Child and forced marriage and FGM have an especially significant impact on the enjoyment of sexual and reproductive health. 4 Child marriage affects primarily women and girls, although it can also affect boys. Conflict and humanitarian emergencies increase the prevalence of child early, and forced marriage, with reports of high rates of child marriage in situations of crisis and displacement. 5 The obligation to eliminate harmful practices is recognized in several international human rights treaties. The Convention on the Rights of the Child establishes the obligation of States to "take all effective and appropriate measures with a view to abolishing traditional practices prejudicial to the health of children." Similarly, the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women provides that States must "take all appropriate measures, including legislation, to modify or abolish existing laws, regulations, customs and practices which constitute discrimination against women." 7 International and regional conferences and agreements have also recognized the need to end harmful practices. Under the Programme of Action of the International Conference on Population and Development, FGM is considered as "a violation of basic rights and a major lifelong risk to women's health." 8 The Programme of Action urges States to prohibit FGM wherever it exists. 9 It also recognizes that "early marriage and early motherhood can severely curtail educational and employment opportunities and are likely to have a long-term, adverse impact on them and their children's quality of life." 10 The Platform for Action of the Fourth World Conference on Women in Beijing also calls on States to eliminate violence against women resulting from harmful traditional practices. 11 Furthermore, in adopting the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, States reaffirmed their commitment to "eliminate all harmful practices, such as child, early and forced marriage and female genital mutilation" by 2030.