AFRICAN YOUTH CHARTER • 37 Article 23: Girls and Young Women States Parties acknowledge the need to eliminate discrimination against girls and young women according to obligations stipulated in various international, regional and national human rights conventions and instruments designed to protect and promote women’s rights. In this regard, they shall: a) Introduce legislative measures that eliminate all forms of discrimination against girls and young women and ensure their human rights and fundamental freedoms; b) Ensure that girls and young women are able to participate actively, equally and effectively with boys at all levels of social, educational, economic, political, cultural, civic life and leadership as well as scientific endeavours; c) Institute programmes to make girls and young women aware of their rights and of opportunities to participate as equal members of society; d) Guarantee universal and equal access to and completion of a minimum of nine years of formal education; e) Guarantee equal access to and completion of vocational, secondary and higher education in order to effectively address the existing imbalance between young men and women in certain professions;