A/70/213 required to ensure that disadvantaged children enjoy the same access to health care and other relevant services as other children ( A/HRC/7/11 and Corr.1, para. 42). 78. The following paragraphs address some of the groups of children that are marginalized in the context of early child development as well as the human rights obligations of States to address discrimination and its root causes. The girl child 79. Gender biases within families give rise to a range of inequalities that obstruct the optimal development of the girl child. Where gender inequalities persist, boys may receive greater medical attention and girls may be vulnerable to discriminatory feeding patterns. 80. International human rights law places particular emphasis on the responsibility of States to address discrimination against women and girls and ensure that they enjoy their rights on the basis of equality with men and boys. Among other actio ns, States must ensure that national law provides a robust framework for gender equality and non-discrimination. In the context of early child development, policies and programmes must pay particular attention to redressing discrimination and to equality. For example, parenting programmes should be gender sensitive 53 and States should make particular efforts to address any discrepancy in educational attainment between girls and boys. 81. The Special Rapporteur wishes to highlight that the healthy developmen t of boys is an important issue and should also be addressed. In many cultures boys are not allowed or encouraged to express their emotions, which results in the adult male population being more prone to violent and self-destructive behaviour. This inhibition relates to gender stereotyping that is harmful for both girls and women, boys and men. Children with disabilities 82. Despite being more vulnerable to health and developmental risks, young children with disabilities are often overlooked in mainstream programmes and services designed to promote health to ensure child development. They also often do not receive the specific support required to meet their needs in accordance with their rights. Children with disabilities and their families are confronted with barriers that include inadequate legislation, policies and services, negative attitudes and a lack of accessible environments. Children with developmental disabilities, including intellectual disabilities and autistic-spectrum conditions, are still suffering from outdated approaches in many countries such as institutionalization and excessive medication. 83. Early intervention services for children with disabilities should follow a human rights-based approach, including provisions of the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities. Governments should ensure that all young children with disabilities grow up in families and that they and their families receive all necessary services to remove barriers and promote their rights in the s ame manner that the rights of children without disabilities are promoted. Practices based on institutional care and overuse of biomedical interventions for young children with __________________ 53 18/25 WHO and Commission on Social Determinants of Health, p. 56. 15-12535