A/HRC/25/58/Add.1 43. Some harmful traditional practices particularly affect women and girls. Teenage pregnancies and early marriages are major problems, as they de facto deprive girls and young women of their right to education. The Government has taken initiatives in this regard, and high-ranking politicians repeatedly emphasized the fact that they would prefer to see girls carrying schoolbooks rather than babies. Another widespread practice is female genital mutilation (FGM), which is typically inflicted on girls as an initiation ritual once they reach puberty. One woman who had herself suffered from FGM broke down in tears when recounting that her two nieces, whom she wanted to save from this traumatic experience, recently underwent FGM. Whether such harmful practices have any religious rationale remains more than dubious. Be that as it may, freedom of religion or belief can never be legitimately invoked to justify the infliction of grave and often traumatic violations of a person’s physical and psychological integrity. 44. Non-governmental organizations working in this field in Sierra Leone gave an account of the enormous difficulties they face when trying to overcome traditional harmful practices such as FGM. Not only are such practices deeply rooted in people’s traditional life, they are also defended by the women who make a living by performing the rituals. This calls for a complex strategy. Members of various non-governmental organizations with whom the Special Rapporteur discussed this issue all agreed that religious communities should play an active role in putting a stop to the practice. Some cooperation already exists and is based on the understanding that human rights standards and religious values overlap in many important areas. While the Special Rapporteur heard a number of success stories, NGO representatives also pointed to difficult areas, particularly in the context of violence against women. For instance, whereas religious communities broadly support policies to overcome child marriages, not all of them have been willing to speak out openly against FGM, maybe for fear that this might alienate some of their followers. At the same time, there seems to be general agreement that education, including educational programmes specifically catering for women and girls, is the key factor in all attempts to overcome existing gender-related discrimination and harmful practices. C. Fragility of public institutions 45. In its final report of 2004, the Truth and Reconciliation Commission (TRC) gives a detailed and precise account of the root causes of the violent conflict that had torn the country apart for more than a decade between 1991 and 2002. When reading the report, the Special Rapporteur was very impressed by the degree of precision and honesty accomplished so shortly after the end of the hostilities. 46. Among the main root causes of the conflict the TRC report identifies is the absence of an appropriate and effective State infrastructure. According to the findings, the general fragility of State institutions in conjunction with bad governance and endemic corruption had led to a gradual breakdown of trust in the fair functioning of State institutions in general. This started the vicious cycle of fragmentation, lawlessness and paranoia that culminated in atrocities beyond human imagination that were perpetrated, albeit to different degrees, by all parties in the civil war. 47. In the decade following the war, Sierra Leone has seen important political, economic and educational progress. Democratic elections have been peaceful, the economy is growing and the illiteracy rate has dropped significantly. Nevertheless, some interlocutors expressed concerns about the ongoing fragility of State institutions, which need further strengthening in order to prevent the risks of renewed fragmentation and to ensure the thorough implementation of human rights. Given the scarcity of financial resources, this will not be an easy task. At the same time, it is clear that without trust in the effectiveness and fairness of public institutions, the current tranquillity remains precarious. 13