Human Rights Council - Forum on Minority Issues - Fourth Session Guaranteeing the rights of minority women 29 and 30 November 2011 - Geneva 1. The Greek economy is going through a new, exceptionally critical phase. The present juncture is the most critical period in Greece's post-war history. At stake are achievements that have been attained in recent decades, driving the country of the euro, setting the Greek economy, the standard of Iiving, social and international standards, back for many decades. The choice that has been made by the Greek people to fight within the euro area in close cooperation with our European partners has a heavy cost. There has been a reduction in income and salaries, high unemployment rates, reduction in employment, serious budget cuttings in public expenditure with implications on social structures, high taxation and increase of poverty. The economic crisis has had the greatest impact on the poorest, most marginalized and vulnerable groups. 2. At the same time "under the Dublin Regulation" Greece faces the challenge of dealing with vast inflow of refugees and undocumented migrants, beyond the capacity of the State to deal with this situation, which has been described as a "humanitarian-crisis" with many asylum seekers, including women and children, living on the streets. 3. In consistency with the position that fundamental human rights should not be given marginal attention in times of crisis and that State obligations with regard to the protection of individual and social rights, women’s rights, human rights, minority rights, especially within this difficult economic and social situation should be adhered to and respected. The Greek government is taking action to translate values and declarations within the limitations set by economic and budgetary constraints, into policy in everyday lives of citizens, making the best possible use of available resources. 4. In this respect we highlight that Gender Equality is a value, a fundamental human right and basic aim of every modern democracy. In times of crisis Gender Equality is not a luxury. On the contrary, it is a core component of economic, social and cultural policies enacted in the effort to emerge from the crisis. 5. Our vision is of a society in which men and women equally share goods, obligations and rights-in work, politics, power, leisure time, care, family and personal life, A society in which men and women decide what they are going to study, what kind of work they would like to undertake, how many children they would like to have, whether they would like to participate in public affairs-without the burden of gender stereotypes that proscribe professions, salaries, tasks, earnings, and all the activities of daily life. 6. Crises always have a stronger effect on vulnerable population group, in which women constitute the majority. When gender-based discrimination is interwoven with and aggravated by other types of social discrimination (class, ethnic origin, disability, age, sexual orientation, remote residency, etc.) large categories of women face multiple discrimination. The reference to multiple discrimination reflects the recognition and the political will for the implementation of policies that will diminish this phenomenon. Unemployed women, immigrants, young women, single parents, disabled, of ethnic and religious minorities, Roma, women living in remote areas-these are all groups of women