Universal-Womens-accesss-to-justice-Publications-Practitioners-Guide-Series-2016-ENG

116 PRACTITIONERS GUIDE No. 12
health care support; 309 HIV and AIDS prevention,
treatment, care and support; 310 substance abuse
treatment programmes; 311 prevention of self-harm
and suicide; 312 preventive healthcare services; 313
and responses to allegations of rape and other
violence and torture, 314 including access to
specialized psychological support or counselling. 315
Addressing illiteracy.
‣ Illiteracy is a problem that disproportionately affects
women. As noted by UNESCO’s Institute of
Statistics: “For the past two decades, women have
accounted for two-thirds of all illiterate adults and
the gap is nearly as wide among youth”. 316 Illiteracy
of women can prevent women from having access
to information and awareness of their rights, making
them more susceptible to gender-based violence.
‣ Mandela Rule 104(1) is thus particularly important
for women: “The education of illiterate prisoners
and of young prisoners shall be compulsory and
special attention shall be paid to it by the prison
administration”. 317
309
Bangkok Rules, above note 273, Rules 12 and 13.
310
Ibid, Rule 14.
311
Ibid, Rules 6(d) and 15. See also Mandela Rules, above note 274,
Rule 30(c).
312
Bangkok Rules, above note 273, Rule 16.
313
Ibid, Rule 17 requires education and information about preventive
health-care measures; Rule 18 requires health-care measures of
particular relevance to women, for example breast and cervical cancer
tests and screening.
314
Ibid, Rules 6(e) and 7.
315
Ibid,, Rule 7(2).
316
UNESCO Institute of Statistics, “Adult and Youth Literacy”, Fact
Sheet No 32, September 2015.
317
Mandela Rules, above note 274, Rule 104(1).