A/HRC/4/9 page 13 B. The crucial impact of denial of the right to non-discrimination and equal treatment 47. The impact of discrimination on the basis of an individual’s ethnic, religious or linguistic identity is usually a potent causal factor in the disproportionate poverty experienced by many minority groups and a key impediment in preventing minorities from benefiting from mainstream poverty reduction and social inclusion strategies. 48. The dynamics of poverty are more complex for minority groups. Racism often defies the rationality of a common denominator development policy, conceived to benefit all. A Roma family in poverty will not find a solution solely in national economic growth, when employers shut the door in Roma faces. They will not find a cure for their poverty in education systems that systematically segregate their children into inferior schools simply because they are Roma. Equally, in times of crisis essential humanitarian assistance and recovery efforts may fail to reach those communities who are most often forgotten or excluded even under normal conditions. 49. Living in remote regions, lower levels of human development, and psychosocial barriers (e.g., language barriers, low self-esteem) also contribute to the “chronic” poverty of many minorities, which is frequently structurally and causally distinct from poverty experienced by other groups. This demands a carefully considered response which takes into account the structures and causes that are unique or prominent in minorities’ experiences. A mainstream social inclusion approach, hoping to reach all marginalized groups with the same policies, cannot fully address the rights and needs of minorities. 50. This is not to say that mainstreamed social inclusion approaches are entirely ineffective for marginalized minorities. As the 2005 Chronic Poverty Report notes, “People trapped in persistent poverty tend to experience multiple capability deprivations, such as poor education, illiteracy, bad health, inadequate nutrition, lack of human rights and civil rights. These constrain opportunities and choices and intergenerational benefits.”22 This is equally the case for chronically poor minorities. When examining the “capability deprivations” of minorities, the particularities of their experiences quickly become evident and the need for parallel-targeted policies is conclusive. 51. One compelling factor contributing to the reduction of poverty levels of disadvantaged minorities is equal access to quality education. Minority children commonly lack equal access to quality education because of discrimination or live in regions with poor educational facilities. Lack of access to instruction in their own language also disadvantages them. Because of experiences of discrimination, minorities may not have confidence in the educational system and children may remain in the community rather than gaining formal education. This is particularly the experience of minority girls, where traditional or religious practices of early marriage, gender-specific roles or limited resources for school fees means their access to education is less valued. 22 Supra note 9, Chronic Poverty Report 2004-05, p. 40.