that girls do not require education. Thus, addressing the root causes of poverty and expanding access to education constitute the two most powerful counters to the phenomenon of child marriage. State Parties are advised to adopt policies to reduce poverty, particularly in child marriage hotspots, and expand assistance (including social protection schemes) to support families and children. Particular attention should be paid to the need to address poverty among vulnerable groups, including children in child headed households, children with disabilities and children affected by homelessness, internal displacement and conflict. All forms of harmful practices [48] State Parties must prohibit and condemn all forms of harmful practices that perpetuate child marriage or negatively affect the human rights of women.33 State Parties are further obliged to discourage any custom, tradition, cultural or religious practice that is inconsistent with the protected rights or welfare of the child.34The obligation to prohibit harmful practices must be balanced with the right of women and girls to live in a positive cultural context and the corresponding duty on States Parties to promote positive cultural contexts.35 [49] Child marriage is itself a harmful practice36 but there are other 33 34 35 36 Article 5 of the Maputo Protocol. Article 1(3) of the African Children’s Charter. Article 17 of the Maputo Protocol. Practices and customs are harmful where they infringe on human rights. 25