Judicial stereotyping, prosecutorial inaction, police indifference—or, worse yet, active abuse, such as sexual violence against women in custodial settings—remain widespread. These challenges are exacerbated for minority women, who suffer from compounded discrimination due to the intersection of race and sex with other factors such as poverty, location and language. Many of them are subjected to violence at even higher rates than other women and face additional obstacles in obtaining legal protection and remedies. Women belonging to ethnic minority groups who are accused or convicted of crimes often have socio-economically marginalized backgrounds and are overrepresented in many national criminal justice systems. They require specialized help in overcoming obstacles to accessing services before, during and after trial, imprisonment or release, including legal aid, translation and interpretation, health care, housing, social welfare or employment. 3. Minority individuals living with disabilities, HIV/AIDS or other special needs According to the World Health Organization, around 10% of the world’s population, or 650 million people, live with a disability.8 Persons with disabilities are particularly vulnerable to discrimination. Comparative studies on disability legislation show that only 45 countries have anti-discrimination and other disability-specific laws. 9 Thus, minority individuals who are physically or mentally disabled inevitably face compounded discrimination. In most countries, there already exists a need to address problems related to access to adequate healthcare services, particularly for those from poor and socially disadvantaged groups, which often has a disproportionate percentage of ethnic minorities, including indigenous peoples. National or ethnic, religious or linguistic minorities with physical or mental disability constitute a particularly vulnerable group in the criminal justice context, in particular in detention.10 IV. Minorities and the Law Enforcement Direct and indirect discrimination manifests itself in multiple sectors of society and, as a result, minority groups are often underrepresented in the criminal justice system including within law enforcement. Over time, a criminal justice system that does not reflect the demographics of the general public can lead to a vicious cycle where social discrimination and marginalization contributes to an accumulation of societal tension between communities and stigmatizes some communities as possessing or displaying certain undesirable traits. Such stigmatization then fuels further discrimination, leading long-term and deeply entrenched structural inequalities. A representative law enforcement body reflecting the general society is an essential part of a democratic society. While representation alone is not enough to ensure protection against discrimination and violence by law enforcement, it is an essential tool in ensuring accountability and integrity of law enforcement bodies. 11 Excessive use of force, racial profiling and 8 United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities, Fact sheet: Some Facts about Persons with Disabilities, available at www.un.org/disabilities/convention/facts.shtml. 9 Ibid. 10 See UNODC handbook on Prisoners with Special Needs at: https://www.unodc.org/pdf/criminal_justice/Handbook_on_Prisoners_with_Special_Needs.pdf 11 See UNODC Handbook on Police Accountability, oversight and Integrity and UNODC/UNHABITAT Handbook on Policing Urban Space at https://www.unodc.org/unodc/en/justice-and-prison-reform/tools.html?ref=menuside and forthcoming UNODC/OHCHR Handbook on use of force and firearms in law enforcement. Page 4 of 11