A/HRC/43/48
(i)
Establish and maintain educational programmes and public policies that
promote gender equality and non-discrimination, developed in cooperation with
women, girls and LGBT+ persons, and make appropriate financial resources available;
(j)
Empower advocates for equality and non-discrimination through access
to education, including equality training for teachers;
(k)
Develop human rights education and training for religious leaders; in this
connection, the Special Rapporteur welcomes the #Faith4Rights toolkit, recently
launched by the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights;
(l)
Encourage private actors, both from human rights organizations and
religious groups, to facilitate the realization of women’s agency within religions. By
allowing all women to have a voice, including to dissent, exercising freedom of thought
and conscience, individuals can achieve not only respect for one another’s human
rights, but also a greater understanding of where and how religious practices can
diminish and curtail rights;
(m) Promote education about religions and freedom of religion or belief within
communities of women, girls and LGBT+ persons;
(n)
Extend invitations to United Nations human rights mechanisms, including
the Working Group on discrimination against women and girls and the Independent
Expert on protection against violence and discrimination based on sexual orientation
and gender identity.
77.
The Special Rapporteur also recommends that:
(a)
Faith leaders publicly oppose expressions of hostility against, and negative
stereotypes of, women, girls, LGBT+ persons and human rights defenders promoting
gender equality, including by faith leaders, and express solidarity with and support for
women, girls and LGBT+ persons;
(b)
Civil society organizations and faith leaders promote holistic and inclusive
discussions on how practices “justified” with reference to religion or belief are causing
discriminatory treatment, harmful practices and sometimes life-threatening abuses,
and continue campaigns focused on combating these practices;
(c)
The United Nations human rights system continue to clarify international
human rights law on the intersections of freedom of religion or belief and gender
equality and urge the Human Rights Committee, in consultation with the Committee
on the Elimination of Discrimination against Women and relevant special procedures,
to produce a general comment on the intersections between the right to freedom of
religion or belief and the right to equality and non-discrimination on the basis of gender,
including in the context of private services.
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