A/HRC/25/56 or rendered inaccessible by simultaneous intersecting disadvantage in another. These intersecting and mutually reinforcing inequalities are often rooted in historical relationships, and continue to be reproduced through discrimination in social, economic, environmental and political domains.” B. Education 59. Education is a basic human right for all children, and yet in all regions there are minority children who do not enjoy that right or enjoy it to a much lesser extent than others. Often countries face serious problems in providing basic education for many children owing to factors including scarcity of resources, poverty and conflict. However the challenges and barriers to minority children are frequently based on and perpetuated by discrimination and social exclusion. Lack of access to education perpetuates a cycle of poverty that is often experienced most acutely by minority communities. Yet conversely, education provides a gateway to development and the full enjoyment of a wide array of human rights for minorities. 60. In 2009, of the world’s 101 million children out of school, an estimated 50–70 per cent were from minorities or indigenous peoples.24 In Central Africa, the great majority of Batwa and Baka have not had access even to primary education. Only 13 per cent of children in sub-Saharan Africa have access to primary education in their mother tongue.25 In South Asia, Dalit girls are prevented from pursuing their education not only because of poverty, but through discrimination and sexual violence. Literacy levels are commonly much lower among Dalit girls. For example, in the Mushahar Dalit community in India, barely 9 per cent of women are literate.26 In Latin America, millions of indigenous and African descendant children work in fields, plantations or mines instead of being in school. 61. As a result of factors including segregation, stigmatization, and high dropout rates among Roma, their attendance beyond primary school is dramatically lower than the average. In South-East Europe only 18 per cent of Roma attend secondary school, compared with 75 per cent of the population, and less than 1 per cent of Roma attend university.27 In many countries globally, education is only in the national or majority language leaving linguistic minorities disadvantaged. In Viet Nam and other South-East Asian countries, education is commonly only in the language of the majority putting minorities at a disadvantage in education. 24 25 26 27 16 Minority Rights, “Millions of European children still denied an education – new global report”, 16 July 2009. Available from www.minorityrights.org/7967/press-releases/millions-of-europeanchildren-still-denied-an-education-new-global-report.html. UNDP, Human Development Report 2004 (New York): p. 34, figure 2.4. International Dalit Solidarity Network, recommendations on Dalits’ access to education, submitted to the Forum on Minority Issues, 2008, para. 83. Available from http://idsn.org/fileadmin/user_folder/pdf/New_files/UN/IDSN_Forum_on_Minorities.pdf. Expert paper prepared by UNICEF on Ending discrimination against Roma children, in Council of Europe report “Ending discrimination against Roma children” (http://assembly.coe.int/ASP/Doc/ XrefViewPDF.asp?FileID=19545&Language=EN).