A/HRC/41/11 54. By January 2018 overcrowding in prisons had already improved through the construction of new prisons and the provision of alternative sanctions, such as probation. Nine probation offices had been opened in cities across the country. Health-care workers were employed in all penitentiary institutions and in the 2019 national budget there was an allocation to cover the health insurance of all convicted persons. There was an external mechanism to prevent mistreatment of prisoners by prison staff. A new draft law also addressed shortcomings in the prison system, acting upon the recommendations of the European Committee for the Prevention of Torture and Inhuman or Degrading Treatment or Punishment. 55. The new draft law on the prevention of and protection against discrimination extended the grounds for discrimination and professionalized the work of the commission for protection against discrimination. Moreover, in the draft law, a new legal procedure, actio popularis, was introduced and provision was made for the use of new types of evidence, such as situation testing and statistics. The law also provided for the introduction of exemptions from court fees in court proceedings. All ministries had committed to preparing operational plans on gender equality in line with the National Action Plan for Gender Equality. 56. The National Action Plan for the Implementation of the Istanbul Convention had three main objectives: aligning the national legal framework with the Convention; establishing specialized services for the protection of victims of gender-based and domestic violence; and undertaking prevention activities. In December 2018, the Government had begun to draft a law on gender-based violence, which would provide for a system for the prevention of and protection against all forms of gender-based violence. Femicide would also be redefined in the Criminal Code as a separate criminal offence. By 2023, specialized services would gradually be established in accordance with the Convention. 57. To ensure the inclusion of Roma children in the education process, the Government had been continuously providing scholarships, mentorships and tutors to children from Roma families. As a result, the rate of school dropout among the Roma community had been reduced. Other vulnerable groups were also supported, especially children from poor families. 58. Measures were being taken to ensure that the infrastructure was in place for children with physical disabilities to have equal access to school buildings. A project for integrated education completed in 2017 had had good results, and a new inter-ethnic integration education project had been developed. 59. Under the 2017 amendments to the Law on Textbooks Used in Primary and Secondary Education, a total of 22 school textbooks had been withdrawn as they had been found to include hate speech and stereotypes. The Government recognized that access to assistive technology was one of the preconditions for more effective, inclusive and quality education. However, currently it was only available in some schools. 60. The National Coordination Body on the Implementation of the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities had prepared an action plan for 2019 on the basis of the concluding observations of the Committee on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities, following the dialogue in September in 2018. The Government strongly believed that the realization of the measures in the action plan would significantly improve living conditions for all persons with disabilities. 61. Increased efforts were being made to reduce neonatal mortality rates and improve access to and the utilization of sexual and reproductive health services, such as family planning, contraception and abortion. Measures had been taken to strengthen the health system by placing a particular focus on primary health care and using an integrated approach to the delivery of health services, aimed at improving not only the coordination between public health, primary, secondary and tertiary care institutions but also their cooperation and coordination with social care services. 62. The Government was committed to the full implementation of the Ohrid Framework Agreement, which would be an important factor for establishing intercommunity peace and a crucial step for achieving an inclusive multi-ethnic society. Currently a three-year 7