A/56/253 rights and constitute discrimination, with some resolutions emphasizing the harmful role played in that regard by religious extremism. Resolutions have also echoed the Vienna World Conference on Human Rights in its call upon all Governments to take all appropriate measures in compliance with their international obligations and with due regard to their respective legal systems to counter intolerance and related violence based on religion or belief, including practices of discrimination against women.10 140. Since 1996, the Commission in its resolutions on the mandate on the freedom of religion and belief has furthermore emphasized that the Special Rapporteur should incorporate a gender perspective in the preparation of reports, including in data collection and the formulation of recommendations, and highlight genderspecific violations. Resolutions not specific to the mandate have also requested all special procedures to adopt a similar approach, for example, Commission on Human Rights resolution 2001/50 of 24 April 2001, on integrating the human rights of women throughout the United Nations system. 141. Accordingly, in the framework of his general reports, the Special Rapporteur, in his review of communications, has created a category devoted to violations against women. The status of women with regard to religion has clearly, however, been an ongoing concern of the Special Rapporteur since the creation of the mandate in 1988, as demonstrated both in communications concerning cases or situations involving intolerance or discrimination against women, and in mission reports (through the examination of legislation, policies affecting women, a review of their situation, and the formulation of recommendations (see above, section II.A)). The Special Rapporteur also appeared before the Committee on the Elimination of Discrimination against Women in February 1998 to outline his approach to the status of women with regard to religion and to engage in an exchange of views. He also focused on this vulnerable group in the context of the international consultative conference on school education in relation to freedom of religion and belief, tolerance and non-discrimination in Madrid (see section III.A). 142. In the two studies submitted to the World Conference against Racism (see section III.A), the Special Rapporteur focused on the status of women. The Special Rapporteur will also submit to the Commission on Human Rights at its next session a study on freedom of religion or belief and the status of women with regard to religion and traditions — currently being edited. 143. In the study, the Special Rapporteur explains that norms inherited from our ancestors and our past tend in all religions to discriminate against women. As one author Katarina Tomaševski points out, we tend to label such norms as “part of the culture” and to accept their discriminatory aspects. When practices or norms that are discriminatory against women are based on or imputed to religion this excuse is considered exculpatory for in such cases there can be no discussion. From the point of view of the victims of such discrimination, however, our behaviour may not appear quite as respectable as we might wish. 144. This study reveals that there are many cultural practices — some similar or comparable, some different — to be found among several peoples having many diverse religious traditions. A number of these practices are contrary to religious teaching. Many religions have combated cultural practices which undermine the status of women. They have managed either to abolish such practices, or to indicate the path to be followed, by limiting abuses, regulating some and tolerating others, 39