A/HRC/35/29 society organizations and public authorities to take action in a challenging context, allowing meaningful steps towards fulfilling the objectives of the strategic action plan. 59. While these measures alone will not achieve substantive equality, intervention in the education system is projected to bear fruit in terms of creating a positive environment for social discussion of and support for gender equality issues. Preliminary outcome studies of training programmes in two regions of the country demonstrated shifts in attitudes towards gender equality and violence against women, but the curriculum and training policies have not yet been applied uniformly across the country, limiting systemic impact. 60. Project evaluation shows a need for further focus on planning, as well as measurable objectives and outcomes for the training. Resource allocation is also an issue. Currently, the teacher training has been institutionalized only as a one-hour module, despite calls for more comprehensive training. A greater investment of time is warranted to support attitudinal and behavioural changes. 61. The gender-sensitive education initiative is a promising practice in a fraught context, but is not a stand-alone measure. The case study demonstrates that gender equality cannot be fully achieved through sectorial approaches, but instead requires the creation of an enabling environment animated by comprehensive long-term measures emphasizing the interconnectedness of women’s rights in order to yield both legal and social change. Key lessons 62. The partnership of autonomous women’s organizations and independent experts with expertise in women’s rights with public authorities is a key element of progressive policy implementation. 63. Public education and teacher training are a crucial entry point for addressing systemic discrimination and promoting a culture of human rights, undertaken in tandem with complementary measures for systemic change. 4. Health and safety 64. Health is defined by the World Health Organization as “a state of complete physical, mental and social well-being”. Women’s rights to equality and to the highest attainable standards of health, including those related to reproductive and sexual health, and the interconnected right to a life free of violence are enshrined in international and regional human rights instruments and reaffirmed in international consensus agreements, yet remain among the most contested and violated women’s human rights standards. Gender-based violence and the instrumentalization and politicization of women’s bodies and women’s health agenda continue to undermine the fulfilment of women’s human rights throughout the world. These violations, fed by patriarchal ideologies and stereotypes that reduce women to means of reproduction or sexual objects, undermine women’s autonomy and selfdetermination, affecting the fulfilment of their human rights. 65. Good practices in this area require a differentiated approach in order to meet women’s particular needs, influenced by biological functions and social constructions of gender alike. The instrumentalization of women’s bodies, particularly as regarding sexual and reproductive health, and the ongoing normalization of violence against women must be combatted through rights-based measures that put women’s right to dignity, autonomy and self-determination at the core of legal and policy undertakings. Mobilizing the law for social change 66. The following case study from the African region elucidates the myriad factors required to develop and maintain a good practice in addressing violence against girls, as well as the attendant impacts on the right to health, safety and access to justice, among others. The background to the case begins with a constitutional reform process undertaken with high levels of public engagement, resulting in 2010 in a robust new constitution that included strong equality provisions, the incorporation of international and regional human rights treaties and the creation of an ameliorating environment for public interest litigation. 12