A/HRC/17/23 3. Education and training 45. As noted by the Secretary-General, “the formal education system can be used as a key site for raising awareness about violence against women and challenging and eradicating gender stereotypes” (A/61/122/Add.1 and Corr.1, para. 353). Initiatives to prevent violence against women will be more effective when derogatory stereotypes and discriminatory attitudes toward women are eliminated from educational curricula and when content promoting women’s human rights and gender equality and condemning violence against women is incorporated at all levels of education. A majority of respondents referred to education and training initiatives carried out in formal school settings, but also to capacity-building activities conducted in the wider community, targeting men and boys, law-enforcement, judiciary and other State officials, health and other service providers, and religious leaders, as good practice to prevent and help detect violence against women. 46. Belgium, Cambodia and the Republic of Korea referred to training and guidance kits on violence against women for students and educational personnel, while Slovenia set the world record for a public “oath of non-violence” by secondary-school graduates. In Germany, the Federal Ministry of Family Affairs, Senior Citizens, Women and Youth supports a research project that tests methods of preventing domestic violence and supporting affected children and their parents in the interface between school and youth services authorities, noting that services offered to parents can have an important preventive function. 47. The SURGIR Foundation implemented a project in Palestine, where local university student volunteers were trained to hold human rights workshops in schools and raise awareness of the society on violence against women and its consequences. In the borough of Islington, London, a full-time officer is employed to work with the entire school community (pupils, parents and staff) on gender-based violence, bullying, domestic violence prevention and child protection issues. In Spain, a specific project promotes reflection of educators on the way love and sexuality are dealt with in education curricula. 48. Respondents also noted that leadership from regional or local authorities or organizations can constitute a positive practice to drive prevention activities on violence against women at the grass-roots level. Local actors are well placed to tailor prevention activities to meet local needs and can work directly with affected people. Human Rights Watch noted that prevention efforts tend to be more effective and more sustainable where local communities are invested and involved. For instance, the organization had positive feedback from a programme training women as “paralegals” in rural areas of Nepal. The women are taught the basic legal mechanisms and recourses, and mediation skills on issues including domestic violence, rape or forced child marriage. These women have reportedly become valuable resources for those who need protection or help, and who would otherwise be unwilling or unable to seek help from the police. Mauritania reported that a three-year programme promoting the abandonment of practices harmful to women through human rights education had been carried out in partnership with an NGO and the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) in 30 communities. No new cases of excision had been reported by health personnel in the communities targeted by the programme for the last two years. Also, girls’ school attendance reportedly improved considerably in the areas concerned. 49. The Independent Commission for People’s Rights and Development from New Delhi referred to the Youth Forums Against Gender Based Violence project, a movement of young men aged 14 to 24 who advocate for girls and women’s rights, including freedom from violence, in their communities. The project is rooted in the notion that as long as women are not able to lead a life of dignity and equality free of violence, men and society at large will not be able to attain their full potential. Human Rights Watch reported that in South Africa the evaluation of the Stepping Stones programme, which is aimed at improving sexual health by building more gender-equitable relationships, showed that 13