(g) The gender perspective should be included in human rights education at all levels and efforts should be made to increase the awareness of women and men of women’s rights under international conventions and national law including legal literacy; (h) The monitoring work and participation of the non-governmental organizations with expertise in human rights and/or development issues concerning women, especially those in developing countries, should be recognized, through their national machinery, and should be encouraged and utilized in the implementation of human rights instruments; (i) The participation of concerned with women’s rights, adequate communication between the World Conference should be non-governmental organizations, including those should be supported in the World Conference and the non-governmental organization meetings and guaranteed. Resolution 37/5. Women and legal literacy* The Commission on the Status of Women, Guided by Economic and Social Council resolution 1990/15 of 24 May 1990, in which the Council selected the issue of increased awareness by women of their rights under international conventions and national law, including legal literacy, as a priority theme in the area of equality to be considered by the Commission on the Status of Women, Guided also by the Nairobi Forward-looking Strategies for the Advancement of Women, 1/ in particular, paragraphs 43 to 92 thereof, Noting that the lack of awareness of women’s rights is a critical area of concern in the proposed Platform for Action under preparation for the Fourth World Conference on Women: Action for Equality, Development and Peace, to be held at Beijing from 4 to 15 September 1995, Emphasizing that literacy and increased awareness by women and men of women’s legal rights under international conventions and national law and the ability of women to access and use legal systems to secure their rights are essential to the promotion, protection and improvement of the status of women and the full realization of equality, Expressing concern that, despite progress, there remains a significant percentage of illiteracy among girls and women and that the rate of illiteracy among women is considerably higher than that among men, Recalling the World Conference on Education for All: Meeting Basic Learning Needs, held at Jomtien, Thailand, from 5 to 9 March 1990, and noting the follow-up work to that Conference that is being done, Noting with concern that in some States multiple legal systems coexist and that rights conferred under civil law may be undercut by their absence in customary law when customary law is given equal status, ________________________ * For the discussion, see chap. IV. -37-