Independent Expert on minority issues
Cross-cutting themes
1. Situation of women
The Independent Expert recognizes that denial or
violation of rights may be manifest in different ways in the
experiences of men and women, and girls and boys. Minority women and
girls may face multiple forms of discrimination based on both their
minority status and their gender. Multiple or intersectional
discrimination may make women and girls particularly vulnerable to
violation and denial of their rights in both public and private
life. The Independent Expert will devote attention to the specific
situations of minority women and girls and share her information and
experience with other mandate holders and bodies including the
Committee on the Elimination of Racial Discrimination (CERD) and the
Committee on the Elimination of Discrimination Against Women
(CEDAW).
On 7 March 2006 the Independent Expert stated that new
and urgent attention must be given to the rights of women facing
multiple forms of discrimination, exclusion and violence.
2. The situation of minority children
Article 30 of the International Convention on the
Rights of the Child (CRC) specifically relates to the rights of
children belonging to ethnic, religious or linguistic minorities.
The Independent Expert seeks to collaborate closely with the CRC and
share expertise with that body particularly in regard to such issues
as education, health, adequate housing and trafficking. In the field
of education, the Independent Expert will consider whether minority
children lack equal access to education, or instruction in their own
language, putting them at a disadvantage in relation to other
children. She will also analyze whether schools teach about minority
culture, history, and the contributions of minorities to wider
society.
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