practices or strategies for retaining women and girls at all levels of education. 21. Women’s studies should be supported and be shared among educational institutions and role models, publicize women’s contributions and develop a foundation for gender-equality their curricula and research should women’s organizations to provide to their societies’ advancement, education and training. 22. The Secretary-General, taking into account his overall responsibility for mainstreaming a gender perspective, should continue to analyse and widely disseminate to Governments and non-governmental organizations, through Women 000 and other publications in the official United Nations languages, information on the education and training of women and girls as part of the follow-up to the Fourth World Conference on Women. 2. Resolutions and decisions 5. The following resolutions and decisions adopted by the Commission are brought to the attention of the Council: Resolution 41/1. Release of women and children taken hostage in armed conflicts, including those subsequently imprisoned* The Commission on the Status of Women, Recalling its resolutions 39/2 of 31 March 1995 and 40/1 of 22 March 1996, Recalling the relevant provisions contained in the instruments of international humanitarian law relative to the protection of women and children in areas of armed conflict, Welcoming the adoption of the Beijing Declaration and Platform for Action by the Fourth World Conference on Women,17 including the provisions regarding violence against women and children, Expressing grave concern at the continuation of armed conflicts in many regions throughout the world and the human suffering and humanitarian emergencies they have caused, Emphasizing that all forms of violence committed against the civilian population, including women and children in areas of armed conflict, including capturing them as hostages, seriously contravene international humanitarian law, in particular the Geneva Conventions of 12 August 1949 for the protection of victims of war, Expressing its strong belief that the rapid and unconditional release of women and children taken hostage in areas of armed conflict will promote the * For the discussion, see chap. II, paras. 122-124. 17 Report of the Fourth World Conference on Women, Beijing, 4-15 September 1995 (A/CONF.177/20 and Add.1), chap. I, resolution 1, annexes I and II. -20-