Part I The human rights of women and girls WOMEN AND THE CONVENTION ON THE RIGHTS OF PERSONS WITH DISABILITIES The Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities recognizes that women and girls with disabilities are often at greater risk – both within and outside the home – of violence, injury or abuse, neglect or negligent treatment, maltreatment or exploitation. It explicitly recognizes equality between men and women as a fundamental principle for the actions of States and includes an article specifically on the rights of women with disabilities. Article 6: Women with disabilities 1. States Parties recognize that women and girls with disabilities are subject to multiple discrimination and in this regard shall take measures to ensure the full and equal enjoyment by them of all human rights and fundamental freedoms. 2. States Parties shall take all appropriate measures to ensure the full development, advancement and empowerment of women, for the purpose of guaranteeing them the exercise and enjoyment of the human rights and fundamental freedoms set out in the present Convention. 2.6. TREATIES ADDRESSING ISSUES OF PARTICULAR CONCERN TO GIRLS The Convention on the Rights of the Child is a critical instrument for realizing the rights of girls. The core provisions of the Convention, including its overarching principle to act in the “best interests of the child”, apply equally to boys and girls. The Convention obliges States parties to ensure that each child – girl or boy – within their jurisdictions has all the rights recognized by the Convention. The Optional Protocol to the Convention on the Rights of the Child on the sale of children, child prostitution and child pornography has a particular gender dimension, reflecting the fact that certain forms of exploitation particularly affect girls. Girls dressed in traditional clothing celebrate the Garangao festival in Qatar. Photo by Omar Chatriwala, reproduced under a CC BY-NC-ND 2.0 license. Chapter 2: The international legal framework around women’s and girls’ human rights | 19