UNITED NATIONS • Forum on Minority Issues
programmes for minority women and support initiatives on the access of minority
women to legal remedies, economic opportunities, education and health.
43. The United Nations Entity for Gender Equality and the Empowerment of
Women (UN-Women) should take the lead on issues related to multiple or
intersectional forms of discrimination faced by certain minority women, and
collaborate with other agencies with a view to addressing those issues in an effective
manner. The approach taken by UN-Women in putting emphasis on particularly
vulnerable and marginalized groups should encompass a minority rights-based focus
with a view to ensuring that the situation of minority women is addressed and
mainstreamed into all their programmes, and that national frameworks ultimately
cover the full range of women’s rights concerns.
44. Individual mandate holders and working groups of the Human Rights Council
and special representatives of the Secretary-General mandated by the General
Assembly are encouraged to continue to examine, where appropriate within their
mandates, the situations of minority women and intersectional discrimination
affecting them. The existing collaboration between special procedures mandate
holders in this regard, at the United Nations level and with the regional mechanisms,
should be further strengthened and consolidated. Greater collaboration could lead to
a more efficient information-gathering process, enhanced discussions with States
with a view to revising discriminatory laws and facilitate the exchange of best
practices.
45. Treaty bodies should require States to provide information in their periodic
State reports on the situation of minority women and on policies and programmes of
the State to ensure the full enjoyment by minority women of their rights.
46. Treaty bodies should continue to develop and embrace a systematic approach
to their consideration of multiple forms of discrimination, involving not only rural or
vulnerable women but also minority women. They should ensure analysis of
intersectional discrimination in all their work so that it reflects the realities of minority
women, and should consider adopting general recommendations on minorities and
minority women.
47. Treaty bodies should systematically consider cases where harmful practices
breach the principle of equality, including family law, land, property and inheritance
rights, and marital rights, and cases where other human rights of minority women
and girls, such as the rights to life, health, dignity, education and physical integrity,
may have been violated.
48. Within the context of the universal periodic review, all stakeholders, including
Member States, non-governmental organizations and the Office of the United
Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights, should require specific information
relating to the situation of minority women in countries under review and make
recommendations aimed at guaranteeing the rights of minority women.
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Compilation of Recommendations of the First Four Sessions 2008 to 2011