Independent Expert on minority issues

Cross-cutting themes

1. Situation of women

The Independent Expert recognizes that denial or violation of rights may be manifest in different ways in the experiences of men and women, and girls and boys. Minority women and girls may face multiple forms of discrimination based on both their minority status and their gender. Multiple or intersectional discrimination may make women and girls particularly vulnerable to violation and denial of their rights in both public and private life. The Independent Expert will devote attention to the specific situations of minority women and girls and share her information and experience with other mandate holders and bodies including the Committee on the Elimination of Racial Discrimination (CERD) and the Committee on the Elimination of Discrimination Against Women (CEDAW).

On 7 March 2006 the Independent Expert stated that new and urgent attention must be given to the rights of women facing multiple forms of discrimination, exclusion and violence.

2. The situation of minority children

Article 30 of the International Convention on the Rights of the Child (CRC) specifically relates to the rights of children belonging to ethnic, religious or linguistic minorities. The Independent Expert seeks to collaborate closely with the CRC and share expertise with that body particularly in regard to such issues as education, health, adequate housing and trafficking. In the field of education, the Independent Expert will consider whether minority children lack equal access to education, or instruction in their own language, putting them at a disadvantage in relation to other children. She will also analyze whether schools teach about minority culture, history, and the contributions of minorities to wider society.