CEDAW/C/GC/36 65. Another area in which girls and women are adversely affected is in the sexual politics associated with their participation in education. Sexual politics in schools refers to gender relations marked by unwarranted sexual overtones, such as the sexual harassment of girls in schools or on the way to and from school. They may be confronted with sexual harassment and abuse perpetrated b y students, teachers and community members, as well as biased treatment in school. Sexual assault and other forms of gender-based violence in schools significantly contribute to low self-esteem, poor educational achievement and have adverse long-term effects on health and wellbeing. 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 authorit y, are followed by violent acts. 66. Disadvantaged groups of girls are at an increased risk of violence at school because of the multiple forms of discrimination that they face, in particular on the basis of their HIV status, caste, ethnicity, race and religion, which increase the risk of abuse and influence the nature of the violence experienced. Girls with disabilities face discrimination on the basis of both their gender and disability, while lesbian, bisexual, transgender, and intersex children experience both sexism and homophobia. 67. In spite of the rampant sexual harassment and abuse of girls in educational institutions, and that they constitute a key barrier to their right to and within education, those facts have not been systematically factored in to educational policy and programmes. In many instances there is no strict accountability mechanism and, in schools, the matter is ignored or responded to by victim -blaming, with impunity for perpetrators. 68. The sexual abuse of girls may result in unwanted pregnancies, and there is therefore a need to alert girls, in particular during adolescence to that problem and its consequences. An important response to the magnitude of the problem in the home, school and community is instituting mandatory, age-appropriate curricula, at all levels of education, on comprehensive sexuality education, including on sexual and reproductive health and rights, responsible sexual behaviour, prevention of early pregnancy and prevention of sexually transmitted infections, in li ne with articles 10 (h) and 12 of the Convention, the Committee’s general recommendation No. 24 (1999) on women and health and general recommendation No. 35 (2017) on gender based violence against women, updating general recommendation No. 19. Teachers should be specifically trained for the various levels of age -appropriate delivery. In situations where the teaching staff is predominantly male, such as at the secondary school level, efforts should be made to recruit, train and hire female teachers who can serve as role models and make classrooms safer and more enabling places for girls and young women. 69. The Committee recommends that States parties take the following measures to curtail violence against girls and women associated with educational institutions and schooling, thereby protecting their right to be treated with respect and dignity: (a) Enact and enforce appropriate laws, policies and procedures to prohibit and tackle violence against girls and women in and around educational institutions, including verbal and emotional abuse, stalking, sexual harassment and sexual violence, physical violence and exploitation; (b) Recruit, train and hire more female teachers in educational institutions where the school faculty is predominantly male; (c) Ensure that girls and women affected by violence in schools have effective access to justice and remedy; 18/23 17-19774