A/HRC/26/22 51. The continued presence of social pressure that views child, early and forced marriage as a means to avoid pregnancy outside of wedlock and to maintain honour in cases of rape, also remains a challenge.103 A small number of submissions received reported on efforts to address stigma associated with sexual violence and women’s sexuality. VIII. Conclusions and recommendations 52. Despite progress made, significant challenges remain in the adoption and implementation of laws, polices and strategies to address the systemic and underlying factors which allow the marriage of children to persist and prevent women from marrying a spouse of their choice. Currently, legislation in 147 countries contains exceptions permitting the marriage of children below the age of 18 and, even where legislation is in line with international standards, the prohibition of child and forced marriage is difficult to implement owing to a number of the challenges discussed above, including cultural attitudes supporting the practice. 53. Comprehensive and coordinated approaches are needed in order to effectively address child, early and forced marriage. It is recommended that national policies and strategies be developed and implemented with the involvement of relevant government departments at the national and local levels, civil society organizations, including women’s groups, religious and community leaders, national human rights institutions and other relevant stakeholders, including legislators and the judiciary. 54. Policy and protection measures, action and strategies should be guided by the best interests of the child, be context-appropriate and in accordance with international human rights standards. They should be part of broader efforts to promote equality and eliminate discrimination against women and girls not only in access to education, but also, inter alia, in the areas of employment, political participation, health, access to inheritance, land and productive resources. Such policies and plans, as appropriate, should encompass the following broad areas of focus: (a) Ensuring a national legal framework in line with international human rights standards, including with regard to the age of majority and the legal age for marriage for girls and boys, the prohibition of forced marriage and birth and marriage registration; (b) Harmonizing national laws on marriage, including by amending existing laws to remove legal obstacles faced by girls who seek the enforcement of national laws on child marriage prevention or prohibition and legal remedies; removing unreasonable legal requirements for formally ending a child marriage; and providing access to remedies for those who leave a marriage; (c) Promoting girls’ access to high-quality education, in accordance with relevant international standards, including tailored reintegration programmes for girls who are forced to drop out of school owing to marriage and/or childbirth; the provision of economic support and incentives to girls attending schools and to their families has proven to be effective in allowing girls to pursue higher education and delay marriage; (d) Promoting women’s economic empowerment and access to productive resources, including by addressing discriminatory norms and practices in this regard. 103 Save the Children reported that, in Nepal, there were cases of suicide by girls who were separated from their intended husbands (Save the Children submission, p. 5). 17