CEDAW/C/GC/31-CRC/C/GC/18 of boys), extreme dietary restrictions, including during pregnancy (force-feeding, food taboos), virginity testing and related practices, binding, scarring, branding/infliction of tribal marks, corporal punishment, stoning, violent initiation rites, widowhood practices, accusations of witchcraft, infanticide and incest. 3 They also include body modifications that are performed for the purpose of beauty or marriageability of girls and women (such as fattening, isolation, the use of lip discs and neck elongation with neck rings) 4 or in an attempt to protect girls from early pregnancy or from being subjected to sexual harassment and violence (such as breast ironing). In addition, many women and children increasingly undergo medical treatment and/or plastic surgery to comply with social norms of the body, rather than for medical or health reasons, and many are also pressured to be fashionably thin, which has resulted in an epidemic of eating and health disorders. IV. Normative content of the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women and the Convention on the Rights of the Child 10. Although the issue of harmful practices was less known at the time of drafting of the Conventions, both include provisions that cover harmful practices as human rights violations and oblige States parties to take steps to ensure that they are prevented and eliminated. In addition, the Committees have increasingly tackled the issue when examining States parties’ reports, in the ensuing dialogue with States parties and in their concluding observations. The issue has been further developed by the Committees in their general recommendations and general comments. 5 11. States parties to the Conventions have a duty to comply with their obligations to respect, protect and fulfil the rights of women and children. They also have a due-diligence obligation 6 to prevent acts that impair the recognition, enjoyment or exercise of rights by women and children and ensure that private actors do not engage in discrimination against women and girls, including gender-based violence, in relation to the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women, or any form of violence against children, in relation to the Convention on the Rights of the Child. __________________ 3 4 5 6 4/24 See Committee on the Elimination of Discrimination against Women general recommendation No. 19, para. 11, and Committee on the Rights of the Child general comment No. 13, para. 29. See A/61/299, para. 46. To date, the Committee on the Elimination of Discrimination against Women has referred to harmful practices in nine of its general recommendations: No. 3 on the implementation of article 5 of the Convention, No. 14, No. 19, No. 21 on equality in marriage and family relations, No. 24 on women and health, No. 25 on temporary special measures, No. 28 on the core obligations of States parties under article 2 of the Convention, No. 29 on the economic consequences of marriage, family relations and their dissolution and No. 30 on women in conflict prevention, conflict and post-conflict situations. The Committee on the Rights of the Child provides a non-exhaustive list of harmful practices in its general comments Nos. 8 and 13. Due diligence should be understood as an obligation of States parties to the Conventions to prevent violence or violations of human rights, protect victims and witnesses from violations, investigate and punish those responsible, including private actors, and provide access to redress for human rights violations. See Committee on the Elimination of Discrimination against Women general recommendations Nos. 19, para. 9; 28, para. 13; 30, para. 15; the views and decisions of the Committee on individual communications and inquiries; and Committee on the Rights of the Child general comment No. 13, para. 5. 14-64765