A/HRC/13/23/Add.2 95. All data should be further disaggregated by sex to reveal how the situation of women in each racial/ethnic category differs from the experiences of men in those categories. That would enable Status of Women Canada to play a more effective role in policymaking with respect to minority women. Target poverty elimination policies to the special needs of ethnic/racial and religious minorities 96. Federal and provincial or territorial governments acknowledge that poverty is a problem disproportionately faced by people of colour, including African Canadian and specific Asian Canadian communities. Income levels generally are significantly lower for minorities, unemployment rates are higher and minorities are disproportionately living in the poorest neighbourhoods and in social housing with relatively poor access to services. A cycle of poverty is set in place from which it is difficult to escape. Policy responses and specific anti-poverty measures should be holistic and must recognize the complex causes of poverty that include discrimination targeted towards minorities because of the colour of their skin and the resulting social and economic exclusion. Consequently, poverty alleviation programmes must be targeted towards racialized communities. Comprehensively address inequalities in educational outcomes 97. Black Canadians and some Asian Canadian communities are concerned that their children are having negative experiences in public schools. Data reveals that dropout rates are particularly high among boys from these communities. The current discourse and rhetoric of multicultural education appears to be failing these children. Community members described approaches to education that do not take into account their different cultures of learning, curriculum and textbooks that ignore their histories and contributions to Canadian society and a gross underrepresentation of minorities in the teaching and school administrative staff. 98. It is vital to fully recognize the challenges facing minority children and to address these throughout the learning experience. Safe Schools legislation should be reviewed to ensure that its implementation is conducive to a positive learning environment and is not discriminatory. The independent expert draws the Government’s attention to the recommendations regarding minorities and the right to education from the first session of the Forum on Minority Issues (see A/HRC/10/11/Add.1). Increase political participation of minorities 99. Political participation and representation enables minorities to have a voice in decision-making bodies. However, at the federal, provincial/territorial and municipal levels minorities are poorly represented in political structures and institutions. Minorities must be proactive in their engagement and participation in political processes. At the same time, more must be done to empower them to do so and attention must be given by all political actors, including political parties, to improve the representation of minorities. The independent expert wishes to draw attention to the recommendations of the second session of the Forum on Minority Issues on minorities and effective political participation (A/HRC/13/25) and urges appropriate implementation of these recommendations. GE.10-11860 21