The Chairperson opened the floor for discussion 11. During this first segment of the discussion under Item V, participants raised the following issues with regard to the effective participation of minority women and girls in economic, cultural and social life: • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • The importance of disaggregated data gathering. The need for gender-budgeting in States’ national programmes. The need for capacity-building for minority women to participate effectively in trade unions, including by bringing quotas to ensure their representation. The risk of exploitation and discrimination against certain minority groups and women within these groups in particular. The difficulties in accessing justice for some minority women. The importance of ensuring minority women representation in statutory bodies and committees. The need for existing laws, policies and programmes aimed at protecting the rights of women to be reviewed and strengthened and for laws that discriminate against minority women to be reviewed or repealed. The importance of having plans and policies to ensure implementation of existing anti-discrimination legislation. The use of different forms of violence, especially sexual violence, to maintain some minority women subordinated. The importance of adequatelyaddressing land, property and inheritance rights for minority women. The impact of displacement, as a result of inadequate standards of living which has multiplied effects on the situation of minority women in terms of economic independence, social status and influence as well as on their right to work. The impact of conflict during which minority women may become targets, victims of sexual violence, forced labour, and the need for mechanisms to address the situation of minority women living in conflict zones as well as those living in remote/rural areas, as well as the need to ensure access to remedies for women who have suffered violence. The need for encouragement and support for some minority women with regard to access to employment; the fact that having counsellors with minority background has proven helpful in this regard and that such support can also be helpful to assist minority women in creating their own businesses. The need to mainstream minority women’s rights into poverty reduction strategies developed by States. The importance of addressing school dropout, early marriages and childbirth within some minority groups. 11 The list of speakers, and when available the full text of their presentations, can be found on the Forum’s web site at: http://www2.ohchr.org/english/bodies/hrcouncil/minority/session4.htm 18