A/RES/71/170 Intensification of efforts to prevent and eliminate all forms of violence against women and girls: domestic violence (c) Accelerating efforts to develop, review and strengthen inclusive and gender-responsive policies, including by allocating adequate resources, to address the structural and underlying causes of domestic violence against women and girls, to overcome gender stereotypes and negative social norms, to encourag e the media to examine the impact of gender-role stereotypes, including those perpetuated by commercial advertisements, that foster gender-based violence, sexual exploitation and inequalities, to promote zero tolerance for such violence and to remove the stigma of being a victim and survivor of violence, thus creating an enabling and accessible environment where women and girls can easily report incidents of violence and make use of the services available, including protection and assistance programmes; (d) Taking measures to ensure that all officials responsible for implementing policies and programmes aimed at preventing violence against women and girls, including domestic violence, protecting and assisting the victims and investigating and punishing acts of violence receive ongoing, adequate and gender- and culturally sensitive training to be aware of gender-specific needs, as well as of the underlying causes and short- and long-term impact of domestic violence; (e) Evaluating and assessing the impact of current legislation, rules and procedures regarding violence against women and girls, including domestic violence, with a view to ensuring access to justice, improving rates of reporting and addressing the high attrition rate from reporting to conviction, and reinforcing, where necessary, criminal law and procedure relating to all forms of violence against women and girls, including domestic violence, with a focus on prevention and the protection of women and accessible and effective redress for victims; (f) Ensuring the promotion and protection of the human rights of all women and their sexual and reproductive health, and reproductive rights in accordance with the Programme of Action of the International Conference on Population and Development, 9 the Beijing Platform for Action 8 and the outcome documents of their review conferences, including through the development and enforcement of policies and legal frameworks and the strengthening of health systems that make universally accessible and available quality, comprehensive sexual and reproductive health-care services, commodities, information and education, including safe and effective methods of modern contraception, emergency contraception, prevention programmes for adolescent pregnancy, maternal health care such as skilled birth attendance and emergency obstetric care, which will reduce obstetric fistula and other complications of pregnancy and delivery, safe abortion where such services are permitted by national law, and prevention and treatment of reproductive tract infections, sexually transmitted infections, HIV and reproductive cancers, recognizing that human rights include the right to have control over and decide freely and responsibly on matters related to their sexuality, including sexual and reproductive health, free from coercion, discrimination and violence; 15. Urges States to address structural and underlying causes and risk factors so as to prevent domestic violence, including by: (a) Investing in the full realization of the right to education by, inter alia, eliminating illiteracy, developing equitable, quality, inclusive and gender -sensitive educational programmes, in particular in rural and remote areas, and by closing the gender gap at all levels of education, thereby ensuring that women and men and girls and boys are portrayed in positive, non-stereotypical roles and contributing to the empowerment of women and girls and to the elimination of domestic violence and all other forms of violence against women and girls; 8/12

Select target paragraph3