A/HRC/12/46 page 13 “victimized” women who experienced violations such as sexual abuse, rather than in the context of empowerment, such as in relation to access to education; health goods, services and facilities; political participation; and the achievement of the Millennium Development Goals and women’s contributions to this process. 3. Special procedures 39. The special procedures should be commended for the great importance they have attached to integrating a gender perspective into the work of the Council. Even before the adoption of resolution 6/30, the majority of the special procedures mandate holders had taken important initiatives to integrate a gender perspective into their work,20 and had identified women’s human rights and a gender perspective as a cross-cutting priority theme.21 Numerous special rapporteurs have participated as expert panellists during the panels at the Council, and in late July 2008, 14 mandate holders made a joint written submission (A/CONF.211/PC/WG.1/5) to the Durban Review Conference Preparatory Committee outlining the main issues which, in their view, should be integrated or strengthened in the Durban Declaration and Programme of Action. That extensive reference was made to the need to strengthen the provisions on multiple forms of discrimination illustrates the collective recognition given by the special procedures to the importance of addressing multiple forms of discrimination. 40. The remaining challenge resides in implementing resolution 6/30 in a systematic way. The resolution requests all special procedures to regularly and systematically integrate a gender perspective into the implementation of their mandate, including to examine the multiple forms of discrimination against women and girls, and to include in their reports information on the qualitative analysis of the human rights of women and girls. With this request the Human Rights Council has shown leadership, emphasizing that gender is not synonymous with mandates that deal explicitly with women’s rights. 41. The Special Rapporteur on violence against women, its causes and consequences represents the primary mandate in the area of the human rights of women. However, increased focus among special procedures on the intersectionality of rights, including collaboration in the form of joint missions, regional consultations and communications, as well as on thematic issues, has resulted in the integration of violence against women in the work of many other mandates. 20 Beginning in 2002 the Commission on Human Rights invited the special procedures to regularly and systematically take a gender perspective into account in the implementation of their mandates and to include in their reports information on and qualitative analysis of the human rights of women and girls (resolution 2002/50). The review, rationalization and improvement of all mandates undertaken as part of the institution-building of the Human Rights Council resulted in nearly all special procedures being required to mainstream a gender perspective into their work. 21 See www2.ohchr.org/english/bodies/chr/special/gender.htm.