Promoting and Protecting Human Rights in relation to Sexual Orientation, Gender Identity and Sex Characteristics A Manual for National Human Rights Institutions The ACJ commented that: … while these examples were specific to the Philippines, there is no doubt that similar forms of discriminatory treatment occur in many other countries.81 Similarly, OHCHR reported: Pacific islanders of all ages who are perceived to be LGBTI suffer from human rights violations … There have been reports in the region of punitive rape of women perceived to be lesbian. Homophobic … bullying in schools denies young people safe access to education and often leads to students dropping out of school. A disproportionate number of LGBTI youth commit suicide due to physical and psychological abuse. These issues often result in LGBTI people not being able to reach their full potentials with reduced access to health care, education and stable employment keeping them from being integrated members of their societies. Many LGBTI associations find it exceedingly hard to be officially recognized.82 Photo by the APF. 30 81 APF, ACJ Report: Human rights, sexual orientation and gender identity, 2010, p. 26; at www.asiapacificforum.net/resources/acjreport-sogi/. 82 OHCHR, Information sheet: Frequently Asked Questions: Sexual orientation, gender identity and intersex status in the Pacific, August 2015, p. 3; at www.ohchr.org/Documents/Publications/UNFE_PacificCampaignInfoSheet-Aug2015.pdf.