A woman has a right to expect the necessary support and protection not only from public authorities, but also within her home. Parents have a duty and a responsibility to provide and care for their daughters and well as their sons. The world community should be concerned at the growing scandals involving the girl-child from the earliest stages of life, including neglect, physical and sexual abuse, child labor, son preference, prostitution, and pornography. In this regard, the Holy See Delegation encourages and would support the addition of a Critical Area of Concern on the girl-child, as has been proposed by other delegations. While the critical role of mothers in the formation and care of their children in generally recognized, the role of men in accepting their responsibilities as husbands and fathers largely has been neglected, or relegated solely to the provision of financial support.
Statistics alone reveal the danger of ignoring men's responsibilities in the family.
In an increasing number of female-headed households are struggling with poverty and on some societies, a rise in juvenile delinquency, drug addiction, and violence is related to an increased number of children growing up without a father. Adolescent, boys as well as girls, should be made aware of and appreciate their physical dignity and the importance of respect for themselves and others. To this end, adolescents should be taught the importance of abstinence before marriage, not only to safeguard their own and others' physical, emotional, and spiritual well-being, but also as a responsibility towards the creation of a new life. Once a man becomes a father, he has an obligation to learn together with the mother how best to meet the various needs of their child, and to share responsibility for meeting those needs. Governments also should be sensitive to the hardship created for women when their husbands are missing due to a lack of local employment opportunities, or as a result of war, or human rights violations.