3. The Commonwealth Plan of Action for Gender Equality 2005-2015 (2004)

(Adopted at the Commonwealth Women’s Affairs Ministers Meeting, 30 May- 2 June 2004)

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3. CRITICAL AREAS FOR COMMONWEALTH ACTION

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I. Gender, democracy, peace and conflict

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3.13 Governments are encouraged to take action to:

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vii. Mainstream gender equality, human rights, HIV/AIDS into the training of peacekeepers, disciplined forces, and law enforcement personnel and their partners to ensure appropriate codes of conduct.

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xiii. Develop peace and citizenship education programmes (including in conflict situations) that promote respect for individual rights and freedoms, gender equality, diversity including religious and cultural diversity, and pluralism.

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3.14 The Secretariat will take action to:

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vi. Support the development of peace and citizenship education (including in conflict situations) as part of school curricula, to promote and foster a culture of peace.

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II. Gender, human rights and law

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3.16 [...] The lack of a gender perspective in the administration of the law has stymied gains made in international and regional treaties and conventions. Even where sound legislation exists, application and interpretation of these laws are inadequate for many reasons: lack of political will, jurisdictional issues, lack of awareness in the public service and justice systems at all levels, lack of enforcement capacity, traditional or customary systems of law that discriminate against women, women’s inadequate awareness or legal illiteracy concerning their rights and recourse to justice, limited human and financial resources for monitoring and enforcement at national, local and community levels, and inadequate evidence based data collection. It is in this context that violations of human rights of women and girls including elderly women and women with disabilities, occur and actions to redress these issues such as human rights education, remain urgent priorities.

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