A/HRC/20/26/Add.2 imparts sociocultural education. It mobilizes people from the locality to volunteer. Such initiatives are an important means of combating illiteracy and should be encouraged. F. Participation in cultural life of women and persons with disabilities 64. Morocco has a number of active civil society organizations working to advance women’s rights. These organizations promote socio-economic, political and civil rights for women through various programmes aiming to, for example, provide shelters for women, promote literacy and improve family planning. 65. The Independent Expert would like to highlight the royal initiative to appoint female spiritual guides and preachers as a good practice. In 2005, the Moroccan Ministry of Habous and Islamic Affairs initiated the first phase of a programme to train women spiritual guides known as mourchidate. Spiritual guides are given the task of providing women, children and men with religious instruction and counselling in a variety of venues, including local mosques throughout Morocco. This initiative constitutes a first step towards ensuring equal opportunities for women to guide and explain religious subjects to others. It also creates important sociocultural spaces for women to share their experiences and strengthen their participation in the cultural life of local communities. It would therefore be useful for women spiritual guides to receive training on women’s rights and raise awareness of women’s rights in the community. 66. Government measures to improve the portrayal of women in media include a national charter for this purpose, drawn up in 2005, the establishment of a national observatory for the improvement of the image of women in the media (in collaboration with civil society) in 2012, and the establishment of a working group on the issue by the Superior Council on Audiovisual Communication in 2009. Nonetheless, the Independent Expert notes that women need to be encouraged to take a more active role in media productions. In Morocco, women currently tend to be users. Media can be an important tool for raising awareness about, inter alia, amendments in the Family Code and the new Constitution, and should be easily accessible to women in rural areas. Unfortunately, according to the interlocutors met, the mainstream media do not reflect the public advancements achieved by women. Media seldom use gender-sensitive language, frequently portray women’s roles as linked with the home and raising children, downplay their accomplishments in the public sphere and project a passive and negative image of women. This discourages any effective participation in social, political and cultural life. Although the media have attempted to address issues relating to sexual harassment, domestic violence and gender roles, these efforts are inadequate. Furthermore, owing to poverty and illiteracy, rural women are generally marginalized in the media. 33 67. The Ministry of Social Development, Family and Solidarity is responsible for protecting the rights of persons with disabilities, who make up approximately 7 per cent of the population (5 million). The Government’s multi-pronged approach is appreciated, and includes a 7 per cent quota introduced in public sector employment in 2001; establishing special learning centres in addition to integrating children with special needs in regular classes; the standardization of sign language; and setting up referral centres in various cities. Since 2003, the Secretariat for Social Development, the Family and Solidarity, together with the authorities responsible for festivals, have introduced opportunities for children with special needs, and some festivals (such as in Fès) now have wheelchair access. Other initiatives include providing families with financial and other support. With regard to the physical accessibility of persons with disabilities, the law provides regulations 33 16 Fatima Sadiqi, “Women's rights in the Middle East and North Africa”, Freedom House report.