A/HRC/18/23 employment. Furthermore, timely institutional and legislative reforms clearly separating military and other security sector responsibilities and establishing separate career tracks for military and police forces are of key importance. Such reforms can influence the integration process, including creating an enabling context for screening the human rights records of ex-combatants. 6. Women associated with armed forces and armed groups 72. Gender inequality is a pervasive form of social inequality and is often exacerbated by conflict situations. Women who have been associated with armed forces and groups, and who are returning to civilian life in the post-conflict context may face greater social barriers, stigmatization and exclusion than men. Both transitional justice and DDR face a common imperative to be responsive to women’s particular experience of conflict and to adopt a gender-sensitive approach. Transitional justice processes and DDR initiatives should strive to ensure that women can fully participate in these processes, and that women’s rights and perspectives are adequately addressed. 73. Women associated with armed forces and groups have frequently been the victims of human rights violations, in particular sexual violence. In order to end impunity for sexual violence and facilitate social reconstruction, those responsible for transitional justice processes should send a clear message that the perpetrators of these crimes will be brought to justice and provide support for the victims of such crimes. Furthermore, transitional justice processes should endeavour to prevent revictimization of women who have suffered sexual violence. 7. Children associated with armed forces and armed groups 74. Children associated with armed forces and groups represent a special category of protected persons under international law. These children should be released and reintegrated into families and communities at all times, even before a DDR process is formally implemented. Transitional justice processes can play a positive role in reintegrating children, and there may be scope for linkages between the release or demobilization and reintegration of children and transitional justice. 75. Prosecution of commanders who have conscripted, enlisted and used children may help the reintegration of children by highlighting that children associated with armed forces and groups who may have been responsible for violations of human rights and international humanitarian law should be considered primarily as victims, not as perpetrators. Likewise statements from children during truth-seeking processes can offer an opportunity for their participation in post-conflict reconciliation, improve understanding of the impact of war on children, facilitate reintegration and prevent future victimization. Children released or demobilized from armed forces and groups may also be eligible for reparations as victims, as well as financial benefits through a reintegration programme. Provision of reparations or benefits should not create additional grievances in affected communities, which may hinder reintegration. In all cases, the best interests of the child should guide decisions about their participation in transitional justice and DDR processes. Participation must be voluntary and in accordance with child-friendly procedures. Coordination between reintegration and transitional justice practitioners in the context of interviewing children released or demobilized from armed forces and groups should also be further explored. Interview processes can be retraumatizing for children involved, therefore unnecessary duplication in efforts should be avoided to the extent possible. 8. Traditional justice processes 76. Traditional justice processes can complement both reintegration programmes and transitional justice processes by providing a community level means of addressing issues of 18