• • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • The problems faced by minority women with regard to access to healthcare and access to justice. The importance for the recommendations to be culturally and religiouslysensitive. The fact that political reforms cannot be successful if the minorities present in the State are disregarded in the process. The impacts of early marriages and childbirth as well as forced marriages on the participation in economic and social life of some minority girls. The security concerns and fear of gender-based violence, abduction and sexual violence against minority women and girls in conflicts. The need for focused measures to be adopted to tackle all forms of discrimination that minority women are subjected to. The need to identify obstacles to the development of minority women and to tackle the causes of all multiple forms of discrimination. The importance of providing proper guidance to job-seekers, especially minority women who are seeking employment. The need for trade unions to intensify their work with regards to minority women and to make efforts to increase the number of minority women within their ranks. The need for special attention to be paid to the pay gap between men and women in general and that affecting minority women in particular. The importance of improving accountability mechanisms. The importance of ensuring equal access for minority women to government services with a view to increase their participation in economic and social life. The provision of culturally-sensitive information sessions and workshops on women’s health issues and on access to healthcare and other support services. The creation of bi-communal community centres as an example of best practices; such centre could serve as an informal place for social gathering but also provide advice and support and a variety of training programmes for children, teenagers, women and the elderly and focus in particular in learning languages and computer skills. The importance of giving access to minority women to vocational trainings. The need for NGOs to promote diversity within their ranks and focus on this when they are offering employment. Item VI. National practices and experiences: positive measures/affirmative action and role models13 Under this agenda item governments were invited to describe their national laws and their political, economic, social and cultural policies and practices designed to support and promote equal rights and opportunities for minority women. Minority women discussed 13 The full text of the presentations is available on the Forum’s website: http://www2.ohchr.org/english/bodies/hrcouncil/minority/session4.htm 21