Infant mortality, the prevention of AIDS and other sexually transmitted diseases as well as family planning and reproductive health are amongst the health related issues the NHRI of Azerbaijan focusses on. The institution carried out awareness-raising activities and disseminated posters, brochures and leaflets in different regions of the country. Some NHRIs have tended to particularly vulnerable groups of women living in rural areas. The NHRI of Costa Rica has worked with transgender women from the Puntarenas region in order to ensure that their fundamental needs in health care and for the protection against HIV are being met. The NHRI of Portugal intervened on behalf of elderly women who were denied access to the health center closest to their homes. The NHRI also became aware that elderly women in rural areas with lower income and higher levels of illiteracy face difficulties in obtaining free health care services because they are unaware of certain legal requirements or unable to meet these requirements. It recommended the creation of a mechanism that would allow some users to be exempt from certain formalities in order to be able to benefit from essential services. Finally, access to health care services also means that transport to the health facilities must be accessible. The Spanish NHRI successfully carried out an activity to ensure patient transport in two rural regions of Spain. It also dealt with the reduction of public transport services in rural regions. EDUCATION The right to education plays a central role in the empowerment of women and girls living in rural areas. Activities by NHRIs aimed at ensuring access to education for children living in rural areas, and in particular for girls, include the “School for all” campaign led by the NHRI of Côte d’Ivoire. The NHRI of Nepal has called on government to make schools girl-friendly, especially in rural areas, as well as for the reconstruction of school buildings after the 2015 earthquake. Barriers were also identified in the following areas: - - - - Transportation: The Portuguese NHRI has dealt with complaints regarding the accessibility of schools in rural areas and has worked to ensure that adequate means of transportation are available. The NHRI has also visited schools in rural areas as part of their human rights education work, including education on the right to non-discrimination. A lack of support services: The NHRI of Serbia currently undertakes research on the availibility of support services (other than in form of additional funds) for rural children during their education. Preliminary results show a lack of services aimed at social inclusion of rural children, their involvement in peer groups and organizations, and support in everyday educational activities. A special report on this issue will be published in 2018. Negative stereotyping: The NHRI of Sri Lanka acted on behalf of a girl from an economically marginalized community in the North Central Province who was expelled from school based on false rumours that she was pregnant. As a result of the NHRI’s intervention, disciplinary action against the authorities that expelled the girl was taken. High drop out rates: The NHRI of Burundi has identified rights violations for school-aged girls from rural areas who drop out of school or leave their homes in order to work in the mines located in the Northern and Eastern parts of the country. OTHER SERVICES In 2016, the NHRI of Spain published a study on “The protection of vulnerable consumers in the area of electric energy”, in which it specifically referred to Article 14 h) CEDAW, the right of women and girls in rural areas to enjoy adequate living conditions, particularly in relation to housing, sanitation, electricity and water supply, transport and sanitation. 11