A/HRC/19/56 three sessions of the Forum and the recommendations emanating from that work, the fourth session addressed the rights as well as the challenges and opportunities with regard to minority women and girls having access to education, taking part effectively in economic life, having access to labour markets and participating fully in social, cultural and political life. 66. The fourth session of the Forum was expertly chaired by Ms. Graciela Dixon of Panama, and achieved excellent participation by diverse stakeholders, including over 80 United Nations Member States from all regions, and experts identified on the basis of their belonging to a minority group and having particular expertise and experience in the field of the rights of women belonging to minorities. United Nations bodies, mechanisms and specialized agencies participated, including UNICEF and UN Women, as well as expert Members of United Nations treaty bodies, notably the Committee on the Elimination of Racial Discrimination, the Committee on the Elimination of Discrimination against Women and the Committee on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights. Many NGOs were active participants and facilitated the participation of persons belonging to minorities from every region. 67. The Forum drew greater attention to the situation of minority women in the agendas of the various stakeholders working on human rights, minority rights and women’s rights by establishing closer cooperation among them. It also gave space to, inter alia, minority women’s rights and feminist movements and networks, and provided concrete and practical examples to all participants on how to give visibility to the rights of minority women. Participants had the opportunity to highlight challenges as well as positive initiatives and good practices for the protection and promotion of the rights of minority women. 68. Without explicit recognition of the different life experiences of minority women and men, such discrimination against women and minority women will often go unnoticed and not be addressed adequately. It is therefore crucial that the diversity that exists within each minority group and the fact that minority women and girls may experience multiple forms of discrimination in the course of their interactions both inside and outside their community be recognized. 69. Women may be regarded as subordinate or inferior by men, and minority women may additionally face discrimination on the basis of their ethnicity, nationality or religion from those outside their minority group. A gender perspective that takes into account such multiple and intersecting forms of discrimination 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. 70. The issues and concerns of minority women frequently receive 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 can 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 contact, 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 groups, let alone outside them. Minority women’s rights could also benefit from increased 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. 71. At its first session, the Forum focused on minorities and the right to education. Access to education for minority girls may present particular challenges, especially in highly patriarchal family and community structures where gendered societal roles persist. Lack of education represents an absolute barrier to their progress and empowerment in 17