E/CN.4/2002/73/Add.2 page 43 made of the closed communities in Europe, in which children suffer sexual abuse by adults, with or without their parents’ complicity, under the guise of bodily freedom and unrestrained expression of impulses and instincts. Such practices, which are condemned by the Council of Europe, have reportedly occurred in many European countries. They have to be tackled both by preventive measures through education and information and by punitive measures through the initiation of judicial investigations.242 F. Social exclusion 1. Violation of the right to education 170. In many States, discriminatory cultural traditions and sexist stereotypes disseminated by the media or by religious extremists at the State or community level have led to the denial of the right to education for girls, high dropout rates among females and gender-based distinctions in vocational training or specialization in higher education.243 In other States, religious education systems have the effect of restricting girls’ and young women’s right to schooling, with expulsions or dismissals because of pregnancy.244 171. The study entitled “Racial discrimination, religious intolerance and education” shows that females often suffer discrimination and intolerance both in access to education and in regard to educational content. A portrayal in school textbooks that is prejudicial to girls or that advocates polygamy can perpetuate gender discrimination rather than foster a spirit of tolerance among young pupils. Also, the imposition of a strict code of conduct confining women to their homes and banning girls from going to school reflects a discriminatory and intolerant attitude contrary to the relevant principles of international law. 2. Bar to office 172. As rightly noted by the Committee on the Elimination of Discrimination against Women in its general recommendation No. 23 (1997), the most significant factors inhibiting women’s ability to participate in public life have, in all nations, been “the cultural framework of values and religious beliefs, … men’s failure to share the tasks associated with the organization of the household and with the … raising of children” (para. 10). This is again more a case of the misinterpretation of passages from holy texts referring to the principle of gender inequality in order to legitimize the supremacy of men in all areas of public life. (a) Political participation 173. The Koran did not forbid women to play an important role in society. On the contrary, famous women pursued influential professional activities within society.245 The foukahas, clergy and politicians have distorted religious texts so as to prohibit women from holding political office and thereby establish a general principle applicable in every time and place. 174. In India, a legislative bill reserving seats for women in Parliament and the state assemblies allegedly failed because of opposition from Muslim representatives, who justified their stand by arguments concerning women’s place in religion. Women elected at the local level have reportedly lost their mandates, following votes of confidence, because of an interpretation of