A/HRC/16/53 D. Application of a gender perspective 14. The Special Rapporteur has continued to apply a gender perspective, inter alia, through the identification of gender-specific abuses, in the reporting process, including in information collection and in recommendations. The latest interim report submitted to the General Assembly (A/65/207) also contains a chapter on women and freedom of thought, conscience and religion or belief and related conclusions and recommendations. 15. In a joint statement of 8 March 2010, on International Women’s Day, 28 special procedures mandate holders called for a new vision of women’s rights, informed by the lessons learned from the 15-year review of the implementation of the Beijing Platform for Action.6 The mandate holders emphasized that old challenges in the protection of women’s rights remained, such as multiple forms of discrimination, and that new challenges had emerged. They concluded that the participation of women in all contexts, be it in peacetime or in conflict or post-conflict situations, or in other types of crisis, such as natural disasters or financial crises, was a requisite element not only for the protection of their rights, but also to achieve peace, security and sustainable human development. 16. In his statement to the Third Committee of the General Assembly on 21 October 2010, the Special Rapporteur highlighted that gender-based discrimination has at least two distinct dimensions in the context of religion.7 On the one hand, women belonging to discriminated communities often suffer at the same time from gender-based discrimination, for example if a woman is discriminated against in the labour market because she has decided, from a religious conviction, to wear a religious symbol. On the other hand, religious traditions or interpretations of religious doctrine sometimes appear to justify, or even call for, discrimination against women. In this context, the Special Rapporteur would like to reiterate that it can no longer be taboo to demand that women’s rights take priority over intolerant beliefs that are used to justify gender discrimination. E. Working with mass-media organizations to promote an atmosphere of respect and tolerance for religious and cultural diversity, as well as multiculturalism 17. To mark the World Day for Cultural Diversity for Dialogue and Development, the Special Rapporteur issued a joint statement on 21 May 2010 in which seven mandate holders stressed that defending diversity went hand in hand with respect for the dignity of the individual.8 Cultural diversity could be protected and promoted only if human rights and fundamental freedoms, such as the freedom of expression, information and communication, freedom from discrimination of any kind, as well as the ability of individuals to choose their form of cultural expression, and their right to participate or not to participate in the cultural life of given communities, were guaranteed. The mandate holders emphasized that cultural diversity should not be used to support segregation and harmful traditional practices which, in the name of culture, sought to sanctify differences that ran counter to the universality, indivisibility and interdependence of human rights. 18. On 30 November 2010, the Special Rapporteur held an expert consultation in Geneva on the theme “Equality, non-discrimination and diversity: challenge or opportunity for the mass media?”. This discussion brought together 12 experts with work experience in mass media organizations with a global outreach as well as the Special Rapporteur on the 6 7 8 6 See www.ohchr.org/en/NewsEvents/Pages/DisplayNews.aspx?NewsID=9877&LangID=E. See http://www2.ohchr.org/english/issues/religion/docs/GA65statement_2010.pdf. See www.ohchr.org/en/NewsEvents/Pages/DisplayNews.aspx?NewsID=10051&LangID=E.