A/HRC/19/71 therefore needs to be assessed on a regular basis in order that existing mechanisms may be improved or new mechanisms established to ensure that minority women can enjoy their rights fully. II. General considerations 7. Women belonging to minorities frequently experience unique challenges and multiple or intersecting forms of discrimination emanating from their status as members of minorities and as women or girls. This may make minority women and girls particularly vulnerable to violations of their rights in both public and private life. Without explicit recognition of the different life experiences of minority women and men, such discrimination will often go unnoticed and not be addressed adequately. A gender perspective that takes into account the multiple and intersecting forms of discrimination that minority women and girls might face is critical when addressing minority rights and the situation of minority women and girls in a given minority group, and in a particular country. The rights of every single member of such minority groups must be respected fully and equally, in all circumstances. Likewise, the existence of entrenched gender roles or local customs does not relieve the State of its responsibility to respect, protect and fulfil the rights of minority women. 8. The diversity that exists within every minority group must also be recognized. They are diverse communities, including women and girls, who may experience multiple forms of discrimination in the course of their interactions within and outside their group. Women may be regarded as subordinate or inferior by men; in addition, minority women may face discrimination on the basis of their ethnicity, nationality, language or religion from those outside the community. 9. The issues and concerns of minority women are frequently given a lower priority than the efforts made to ensure minority rights for the group in general. Women belonging to minority groups often struggle within their communities to advocate for their rights, which may be set aside as a result of the prioritization of the general concerns of the group. Barriers to the empowerment of some minority women, including lack of social or economic contacts, networks or minority women’s support groups, and scarcity of female minority role models have an important impact on the enjoyment by minority women and girls of their human rights. Minority women may hesitate to voice their gender-specific grievances even within their own groups, and much less outside them. Minority women’s rights could benefit from greater attention by the broader movement for women’s rights. In turn, the women’s rights movement would also benefit from the specific experiences of minority women in their overall struggle for equality. III. General recommendations 10. All measures taken with a view to implementing the recommendations made below should be developed, designed, implemented and reviewed with the full and effective participation of minorities, both men and women. The conditions allowing for such collaboration and mechanisms to facilitate consultation should therefore be put in place by all actors involved. Since no community is homogenous, efforts should also be made to ensure that the diverse views within minority groups be heard and taken into account in the process. 11. In this conjuncture of difficult worldwide economic situation, all stakeholders should ensure that the attention to gender and issues of minority women not be sidelined or reduced. 4