A/HRC/42/62 cases, 58 perpetrators were convicted, 34 were acquitted and 42 are awaiting a final verdict. Joint training is undertaken among prosecutors, medical staff and the police to ensure that evidence is preserved so that it is admissible in court. 91. There is a need to establish specialized sexual and gender-based violence units within police stations, hire additional female police officers and establish a juvenile court. The need to train police officers, prosecutors and judges was also emphasized. 92. Female genital mutilation remains prevalent. The Independent Expert was informed that female genital mutilation was practised in certain forms designed to meet sunna, a perceived obligation under Islam. The Independent Expert was informed that female genital mutilation was performed by health workers. The Somaliland National Human Rights Commission and other actors have conducted sensitization campaigns about the health implications of female genital mutilation and the fact that the practice has no basis in religion. A draft law against female genital mutilation has been developed by civil society organizations with the support of United Nations Population Fund since 2015, but there is a lack of political will in the Government and Parliament to pass it. 93. Women experience subjugation from the clan patriarchy and the religious system, but play a key role in the informal sector, even though they lack protection and cannot access credit. A study by a research institution7 reveals that Somaliland women occupy a key place in the informal sector as street vendors and shopkeepers and hence sustain the community and family economies. They fight for the protection and recognition of their economic contribution that would place them on an equal footing with men. 94. Notwithstanding these challenges, there are also modest achievements as regards women’s rights. The enrolment of girls in schools is reported by the Human Rights Commission to be on the increase. However, the dropout rates for girls remains high compared with boys, and they are less likely to reach higher education. The number of women lecturers at the University of Hargeysa has increased from 1 lecturer in 2012 to 10 lecturers and one Dean at present. Out of 23 ministers, only 2 are women, namely the Minister for the Environment and the Minister for Social Affairs and Employment. There is also one Deputy Minister (Livestock and Fisheries) and one Director General (Ministry of Investment). 4. Rights of children 95. The Independent Expert was informed about the problems facing children in conflict with the law. Among them are the fact that a juvenile court has not been established and children are not segregated while in detention, except in the new prison. The Ministry of Justice is considering alternative sentencing programmes for minors. 5. Rights of minorities 96. The minority clans continue to be marginalized. Inter-marriage between members of minority and majority clans is treated with disdain. The minority clans are squatters, with no land rights or shelter; they cannot even build toilets on the land they occupy. School dropout rates for children of minority clans is high, particularly for girls. Children from minorities and marginalized communities are allegedly bullied and often end up in schools for minorities. 97. The Chair of the Somaliland National Human Rights Commission stated that education was the only way to eliminate the marginalization of, and discrimination against, minorities. Minority clans are not represented in decision-making bodies. The Independent Expert urged the Commission to adopt concrete solutions and other deliberate measures to integrate minorities. The Independent Expert was informed that a subcommittee on minorities and disability, involving the Attorney General, Chief Justice and Minister of the Interior, meets once a month to address the concerns of the minority clans regarding their rights. 7 16 Strategic Initiative for Women in the Horn of Africa Network, “Women do not belong under the acacia tree: the conditions experienced by women street vendors in Somaliland” (Kampala, 2018).