A/HRC/22/50 their ability to perform as well as men. The lack of recognition of reproductive rights is part of this cycle: marrying early means having children early, and having to take care of them, even though this may interrupt the education of the mother, or make it impossible or difficult for her to seek employment. It is this cycle of discrimination that must be broken. The cycle of discrimination Discrimination in access to economic activity as a result of lack of political participation Lower levels of education, language barriers, mobility barriers Time poverty: fewer opportunities to seek education and outside employment Weak bargaining position within the household education, language barriers, mobility Disproportionate burden from the “care economy” (care of children and elderly, food preparation, other chores) 4. These various forms of discrimination against women and girls are human rights violations that States have a duty to combat. They affect directly the right to food of women and girls. They also have impacts on the right to food of others through three pathways. First, discrimination against pregnant women and women of child-bearing age has intergenerational consequences. Maternal and child undernutrition affect the learning performance of children, and their incomes as adults thus depend on the quality of their nutrition as young infants, during the 1,000-day window during pregnancy and until the second birthday. The disadvantage of poor nutrition during pregnancy or early childhood is also carried over from one generation to the next: a woman who has been poorly fed as an infant will have children with a lower birthweight.2 5. Second, socially constructed gender roles and the weak bargaining position of women within households result in a situation in which they may not be able to decide to which priorities the household budget should go. Yet, because men are currently insufficiently sensitized to the importance of caring for children and for their nutrition needs in particular, the nutrition, health and education of children significantly improve when women are enabled to make such decisions. Research shows that a child‟s chances of 2 4 A. Ashworth, "Effects of intrauterine growth retardation on mortality and morbidity in infants and young children," European Journal of Clinical Nutrition, vol. 52, Supp. 1 (Jan. 1998), S34–42; C.G. Victoria et al., “Maternal and Child Undernutrition 2: Maternal and child undernutrition: Consequences for adult health and human capital,” Published online 17 January 2008 (DOI:10.1016/S0140-6736(07)61692-4).