A/HRC/RES/44/17 Underscoring the fact that international human rights law prohibits discrimination, inter alia on the basis of gender, and that national legislation, policies and practices should comply with States’ international obligations, Expressing profound concern at the backlash against progress made by States, international and regional organizations and civil society, including women’s and girls’ rights and community-based organizations, feminist groups, women and girl human rights defenders, trade unions and girl- and youth-led organizations, to respect, protect and fulfil all human rights, and recognizing that these retrogressions can be linked to economic crisis and inequality, racial discrimination, negative social norms and gender stereotypes, retrogressive lobbies, ideological views or misuse of culture or religion to oppose the struggle for women’s and girls’ equal rights, Recognizing that women and girls are subject to multiple, intersecting and systemic forms of discrimination throughout their life based on, inter alia, gender, age, race, ethnicity, indigeneity, religion or belief, physical and mental health, disability, civil status, socioeconomic background and migration status, in private and public spaces, both online and offline, and that substantive equality requires the elimination of the root causes of structural discrimination against them, including deep-rooted patriarchal and gender stereotypes, negative social norms, sociopolitical and economic inequalities and systemic racism, as well as traditional understandings of gender roles that perpetuate unequal power relations, discriminatory attitudes, behaviours, norms, perceptions, customs and harmful practices, such as female genital mutilation and child, early and forced marriage, Acknowledging that States should consider recognizing intersecting and systemic discrimination in law and in practice where applicable, and address its compounded impact on women and girls by adopting and implementing policies and programmes that take into consideration multiple and intersecting forms of discrimination, and recognizing the importance of men and boys fully engaging as strategic partners and allies, as well as agents and beneficiaries of change, for the achievement of gender equality and the empowerment of all women and girls, Reaffirming that the full enjoyment of all human rights by all women and girls includes sexual and reproductive health and reproductive rights, free from coercion, discrimination and violence, Recognizing that sexual and reproductive health information and services include, inter alia, accessible and inclusive family planning, safe and effective methods of modern contraception, emergency contraception, prevention programmes for adolescent pregnancy, maternal health care and services, such as skilled birth assistance and emergency obstetric care, including midwives for maternity services, perinatal care, safe abortion where not against national law, post-abortion care, and prevention and treatment of reproductive tract infections, sexually transmitted infections, HIV and reproductive cancers, Deeply concerned that the COVID-19 crisis has exacerbated pre-existing forms of inequality and systemic discrimination faced by women and girls, including patriarchy, racism, stigma, xenophobia and socioeconomic inequalities, and has increased the occurrence of sexual and gender-based violence and harassment, women’s and girls’ disproportionate share of unpaid care and domestic work, as well as loss of employment and livelihoods, particularly among women who work in the informal sector, Noting that women make up 70 per cent of frontline workers in the health and social sector across a range of occupations, and deeply concerned that the COVID-19 pandemic has significant implications for women by virtue of their gender, including in equitable and appropriate access to health-care services, taking disproportionate responsibility for unpaid care work and domestic workloads, and that the economic impact of the COVID-19 pandemic will put women’s and girls’ livelihoods and economic security at significant risk, 1. Calls upon States: (a) To ratify or accede to the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women, and to consider ratifying or acceding to the Optional Protocol to the Convention as a matter of particular priority; 2