A/HRC/34/53/Add.2 of health insurance and information. In fact, reports show that the insurance coverage rates for Roma groups are low, and those groups lack access to medicines and report difficulties in seeing a doctor when needed.27 64 In the field of education, the Special Rapporteur was informed that there exist issues with regard to school enrolment, as some Roma children do not attend school regularly owing to the seasonal work of their parents abroad, and some have never been enrolled. Drop-out rates among Roma students were reported to be significantly high. According to data from UNICEF, Roma children are most likely to be out of school in the Republic of Moldova, with 43 per cent of Roma children aged 7-15 not enrolled in school.28 65. The Special Rapporteur received credible testimonies of discrimination against Roma children in school, including placing them at the back of the class and being targets of degrading treatment by teachers, non-Roma schoolmates and their parents. She was also informed about the situation of Roma children with disabilities, which is of particular concern given the lack of awareness of their specific needs and challenges and the insufficient financial support provided to them. 29 66. The Special Rapporteur was pleased to learn about important initiatives that have been implemented to combat discrimination of Roma children and improve their access to education. In particular, she would like to commend the efforts undertaken by local authorities, Roma communities and United Nations actors, including OHCHR, to desegregate schools and promote the participation of Roma children in the school system along with non-Roma students on an equal basis. She visited the Otaci lyceum, where that initiative had proved successful in achieving higher attendance rates in school and had served to combat stereotypes and foster mutual understanding. She encourages authorities to continue efforts to achieve complete desegregation of schools across the country. 67. The Special Rapporteur was informed that, in certain municipalities, vulnerable children, including Roma children, are exempted from kindergarten fees and receive free breakfast. Such measures had been implemented for example in Otaci and had had a positive impact in increasing school attendance rates. The initiative should be further promoted in a systemic manner. B. Roma women and girls 68. Roma women and girls have been described as one of the most disempowered groups in the Republic of Moldova. 30 They present lower levels of education, higher unemployment rates, lower levels of income and poorer health status than the rest of the population. Roma women are subjected to multiple forms of discrimination both on the basis of their gender and ethnicity. 69. Reports 31 demonstrate that, while obstacles to gaining access to education are significant for all Roma children, some aspects with respect to the lack of realization of the 27 28 29 30 31 See D. Mihailov, The health situation of Roma communities: analysis of the data from the UNDP/World Bank/EC Regional Roma Survey, (UNDP, 2012). Available from www.undp.org/content/dam/rbec/docs/The-health-situation-of-Roma-communities.pdf. Ibid. See also the report of the Special Rapporteur on the rights of persons with disabilities on her mission to the Republic of Moldova, A/HRC/31/62/Add.2, para. 40. United Nations Entity for Gender Equality and the Empowerment of Women (United NationsWomen), UNDP and OHCHR, “Study on the Situation of Romani Women and Girls in the Republic of Moldova” (2014), available from www.un.md/docsandpub. Ibid. 15