Part II: Preventing torture: NHRIs in action education principles will help guide the design of the activities.122 If, for instance, the programme aims to reach homeless young people, it could include strategies such as: • placing leaflets or posters in key places, including police stations or youth centres • running street theatre sessions • distributing caps, T-shirts or pocket cards • establishing and promoting a free information hotline • holding information sessions in youth centres, accommodation centres or other places where young people gather. NHRIs should mainstream gender into their planning, implementation and follow up to public education activities on torture prevention. A gender analysis can help NHRIs identify what is known about the gender situation, the impact the activity will seek to have, the strategies and resources necessary. In its content and methodology, the activity should actively promote gender equality, participation and counter any conscious or unconscious factors that may perpetuate gender discrimination. A gender lens should be applied in reporting and evaluation. In addition, there is a growing recognition of the need for public education programmes that specifically address gendered forms of torture and ill-treatment in the public and private spheres. Depending on the context, these could include: • public education programmes to combat gender-based violence in the family • community-level sensitisation activities to combat harmful gender stereotypes underlying discrimination and abuse in the provision of healthcare services • awareness-raising to fight discrimination against lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and intersex (LGBTI) persons in the community and in places of detention • campaigns to mobilise public opinion against genital mutilation. Insights from practice: The Ombudsman for Human Rights of Timor Leste (Provedor de Dereitos Humanos) has raised public awareness about the situation of LGBTI persons, including the conditions they face in detention places. In this regard, they have conducted trainings and public seminars to put forth positive views about LGBTI persons. 2. Public awareness campaigns As part of their mandate to promote human rights, NHRIs should seek to raise awareness among the general public about the absolute prohibition on torture and the right of all persons, in particular those deprived of their liberty, not to be tortured or ill-treated.123 Torture and ill-treatment almost always occur out of public view. As a result, these issues may be rarely discussed in the media or other public settings and there may be little awareness that such practices occur. NHRIs can play an important role in bringing the issue of torture out of the shadows 122 Human rights education activities should be: relevant to participants, collaborative, participatory, probing, involve thoughtful action and be empowering. See ibid., pp. 77–85. 123 In its general comment No. 20, the Human Rights Committee asks to “be informed how States parties disseminate, to the population at large, relevant information concerning the ban on torture and the treatment prohibited by article 7” (para. 10). The Committee against Torture also notes that “it is important that the general population be educated on the history, scope and necessity of the non-derogable prohibition of torture and ill-treatment” (general comment No. 2, para. 25). 125