A/HRC/32/16 17. The free health care initiative for children, under-fives and pregnant and lactating mothers was in its sixth year, and had reduced the rates of child and maternal mortality as well as fatalities from other common diseases, such as malaria, diarrhoea and pneumonia. This was complemented by improved health funding and the recruitment of more than 2,000 health workers since 2013. Consequently, 97 per cent of pregnant women now receive antenatal care. 18. Female genital mutilation is a cultural practice in Sierra Leone. Since the previous review, significant steps had been undertaken to address this concern: the Government had worked closely with traditional leaders in raising awareness on the ills of the practice and had provided alternative sources of income in the form of microfinance. The Government had adopted a policy banning the initiation of girls under the age of 18, based on the human right to freedom of association whereby people are free to associate and partake in cultural activities provided they are competent to make that decision. 19. Moreover, Sierra Leone was pursuing a robust child protection regime, with the establishment of a children’s commission that was pursuing, among other things, the elimination of child abuse, corporal punishment and child trafficking. The Government was also implementing a national child welfare policy to bring the protection of children in line with international standards. To ensure the implementation of similar standards in rural areas, child protection departments had been established in all local councils. A child justice strategy was being implemented to separate juveniles from adults in detention centres. 20. Investment in education is critical to empowering citizens to enjoy their rights: the Government had implemented free and compulsory primary education, with increased funding to encourage education of the girl child in junior and senior secondary schools in line with the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. Thus, gender parity in school enrolment was increasing rapidly at all levels. 21. Under its education policy, the Government took responsibility in providing school fees and in-kind assistance, such as uniforms and school materials, for girls. The programme had led to a significant number of girls attending junior secondary school. Approximately 160 primary and 30 junior secondary schools had been constructed since 2012. As reported by the School Census Report and the 2013 Country Status Report on Education, gender parity had been achieved at the pre-primary level, and almost achieved at the primary level. Gender parity was increasing rapidly at the junior and secondary school levels, with enrolment at a remarkable rate. 22. The policy of the Government regarding visibly pregnant school girls remained unchanged: it had provided learning centres around the country for visibly pregnant girls to receive special classes and at the same time have access to qualified medical personnel. Furthermore, provisions had been made for these girls to continue their education in normal schools upon giving birth. In addition, a national teenage pregnancy secretariat was implementing a strategy to reduce teenage pregnancy. 23. Sierra Leone had taken major steps for the rights of people with HIV/AIDS, Ebola survivors and people with disabilities. The 2011 HIV/AIDS Commission Act had made it an offence to deny a person access to any employment or educational institution on the grounds of their HIV status, by, inter alia, prohibiting discrimination of any form against people living with HIV/AIDS, including their families and communities. 24. The Government had adopted similar steps to protect from marginalization survivors of the Ebola virus disease and their family members. Under the National Ebola Recovery Plan, the Government provided free education for Ebola orphans and young people, free health care for Ebola survivors, entrepreneurial training for Ebola widows and other welfare packages. 6