CRPD/C/GC/3 disabilities throughout their lifespan. It is not enough to take women with disabilities into account when designing development measures; rather, women with disabilities must also be able to participate in and contribute to society. 23. In line with a human rights-based approach, ensuring the empowerment of women with disabilities means promoting their participation in public decision-making. Women and girls with disabilities have historically encountered many barriers to participation in public decision-making. Owing to power imbalances and multiple forms of discrimination, they have had fewer opportunities to establish or join organizations that can represent their needs as women and persons with disabilities. States parties should reach out directly to women and girls with disabilities and establish adequate measures to guarantee that their perspectives are fully taken into account and that they will not be subjected to any reprisals for expressing their points of view and concerns, especially in relation to sexual and reproductive health and rights, as well as gender-based violence, including sexual violence. Finally, States parties must promote the participation of representative organizations of women with disabilities, not just disability-specific consultative bodies and mechanisms. 31 III. States parties’ obligations 24. States parties to the Convention have an obligation to respect, protect and fulfil the rights of women with disabilities, both under article 6 and under all other substantive provisions, in order to guarantee them the enjoyment and exercise of all human rights and fundamental freedoms. These duties imply taking legal, political, administrative, educational and other measures. 25. The obligation to respect requires States parties to refrain from interfering with the enjoyment of the rights of women with disabilities. As such, existing laws, regulations, customs and practices that constitute discrimination against women with disabilities must be abolished. Laws that do not allow women with disabilities to marry or choose the number and spacing of their children on an equal basis with others are common examples of such discrimination. Furthermore, the duty to respect implies refraining from engaging in any act or practice that is inconsistent with article 6 and other substantive provisions and ensuring that public authorities and institutions act in conformity with them. 32 26. The obligation to protect means that States parties have to ensure that the rights of women with disabilities are not infringed upon by third parties. Thus, States parties must take all appropriate measures to eliminate discrimination on the basis of sex and/or impairment by any person, organization or private enterprise. It also includes the duty to exercise due diligence by preventing violence or violations of human rights, protecting victims and witnesses from violations, investigating, prosecuting and punishing those responsible, including private actors, and providing access to redress and reparations where human rights violations occur.33 For example, States parties could promote the training of professionals in the justice sector to make sure that there are effective remedies for women with disabilities who have been subjected to violence. 27. The obligation to fulfil imposes an ongoing and dynamic duty to adopt and apply the measures needed to secure the development, advancement and empowerment of women with disabilities. States parties must adopt a twin-track approach by: (a) systematically mainstreaming the interests and rights of women and girls with disabilities in all national 31 32 33 See A/HRC/31/62, para. 70. See art. 4 (1) (d) of the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities. See joint general recommendation No. 31 of the Committee on the Elimination of Discrimination against Women/general comment No. 18 of the Committee on the Rights of the Child (2014) on harmful practices, footnote 6. 7