CEDAW/C/GC/36 c) equip teacher trainees and teachers to provide career counselling for students and parents to address and modify entrenched perceptions of sex-appropriate subjects and/or careers; d) institute measures to increase female participation in STEM programmes, at all levels of education, by providing special incentives such as scholarships and adopting temporary special measures, in keeping with article 4 and GR 25; e) ensure that in single sex schools the full range of subjects, particularly in the technical-vocational areas, are offered so that girls have the opportunity to participate in male dominated areas and vice versa to allow for wider career options; f) develop national ICT plans or strategies with concrete targets for achieving gender equity in ICT access in schools and tertiary level institutions backed by specific programmes that have an adequate allocated budget and a plan to collect timely gender-disaggregated data to monitor the targets; g) institute clear legislative and policy measures to ensure that when girls/women participate in male dominated disciplines and activities in educational institutions they are protected from sexual harassment and violence; h) provide equal opportunities in educational institutions for girls/women to freely choose areas of physical activity and sport in which they wish to engage and to profit from the health and psychological benefits that accrue from such engagement; i) address traditional stereotypes and provide facilities that allow for girls’/women’s participation in male dominated physical activities and sports in both coeducational and female single sex educational institutions; j) institute positive actions, preferential treatment or quota systems, in the areas of sports, culture and recreation, in keeping with GR 25 on temporary special measures, and, where necessary, direct such measures at girls and women subjected to multiple discrimination, including rural women in accordance with GR 34. Gender inequality, abuse and sexual violence in schools 64. Gender inequality in education includes differences in treatment where one sex is favoured or given preferential access to rewards by the school system as with attention, grades, opportunities, praise and more lenient punishment for misbehaviour. Gender inequality is also manifested in unequal access to non-material status and power in teacherstudent interactions. In educational settings the way girls experience this is influenced by several attributes including their sex, socio-economic status, race/ethnicity or belonging to other minorities, appearance and language patterns. 65. Another area in which girls and women are adversely affected is the sexual politics associated with their participation in education. Sexual politics in schools refers to gender relations marked by unwarranted sexual overtones. A common example is the sexual harassment of girls in schools and/or on the way to and from school. They may be confronted with sexual harassment and abuse perpetrated by male students, teachers and community members as well as biased treatment in school. Sexual assault and other forms of genderbased violence in schools significantly contribute to low self-esteem, poor educational achievement and adverse long-term health and well-being status. As a result of violence, girls are kept out of school, drop out of school or do not fully participate in school. Violence often begins with verbal insults and threatening gestures, which when not challenged by those in authority are followed by violent acts. 66. Disadvantaged groups of girls face increased risk of violence at school because of the multiple forms of discrimination that they face. In particular, HIV status, caste, ethnicity race, and religion increase the risk of abuse and influence the nature of violence experienced. Girls with disabilities face both gender and disability discrimination while LBTI girls experience both sexism and homophobia. 67. In spite of the fact that sexual harassment and abuse of girls, are so widespread in educational institutions and constitute a key barrier to their right to and within education, this has not been systematically factored into educational policy and programmes. In many 15