A/HRC/10/71 page 10 36. Cameroon congratulated Burundi on its efforts to implement various international and regional instruments and to consolidate peace. Cameroon recommended the continuation of efforts for the stabilization and consolidation of peace through scrupulous respect for projects developed in cooperation with the United Nations. Cameroon welcomed initiatives, including the provision of free primary education and health care for children under the age of 5. Cameroon recommended that Burundi create, strengthen and render operational human rights monitoring bodies, and ensured Burundi of its full support in this regard. 37. Portugal welcomed Burundi’s efforts to overturn decades of human rights violations and impunity. Noting that Burundi has not yet fully implemented the recommendations made by the Committee on the Elimination of Discrimination against Women in 2000, Portugal was concerned that women continue to be victims of legal, political and socio-economic discrimination, about the large number of unreported cases of rape, whose perpetrators are often not prosecuted, and whose victims suffer additional cultural prejudice, and about the number of torture and ill-treatment cases, inquiring about measures to implement the recommendations of the Committee against Torture. Portugal recommended that Burundi (a) establish an independent national human rights commission with a strong mandate, according to the Paris Principles; (b) implement the recommendations of the Committee on the Elimination of Discrimination against Women and take measures to eliminate discriminatory practices against women, also through education and awareness-raising programmes; (c) enact legislation against domestic and all forms of gender-based violence, and combat impunity in this regard; and (d) take urgent steps towards the full and prompt implementation of the recommendations of the Committee against Torture. 38. The representative of Burundi thanked the delegations for their recommendations, which would be taken into consideration, and urged the international community to help improve the rule of law in Burundi. 39. Equality between men and women was enshrined in the Burundian Constitution. Women had represented more than 30 per cent of the members of Parliament and the Government after the 2005 elections. However, that percentage was no longer the same because of changes that had taken place since then, especially political changes. 40. With regard to rape and other sexual abuse, the Government was tackling that challenge and laws were being drafted to stamp out the problem. In each province, there was a family development centre under the Ministry of Solidarity, Human Rights and Gender to help victims report crimes and to provide medical follow-up. There were also centres and NGOs that provided psychological care. 41. In addition, the law on inheritance had been submitted to the Council of Ministers and translated into Kirundi so that the general population could understand it better. The law would be resubmitted to the Council of Ministers at a later date. 42. The Council of Ministers had adopted a bill on the establishment of the independent, national human rights commission, in line with the Paris Principles. The bill would be transmitted to Parliament for adoption and the Commission could be established by January 2009.