Statement on the situation of women belonging to minorities

6 April 2004

Statement by Minority Rights Group International
Speaker: Chris Chapman

Thank you Mr Chair for giving me the floor. I speak on behalf of Minority Rights Group International.

Women belonging to minorities suffer from multiple discrimination, because of their ethnicity and their gender. As women, they may be subject to discrimination from both within and outside their communities, and they may suffer disproportionately from the economic, social and political marginalisation affecting their communities as a whole.

For example, the Twa, or 'Pygmies', are one of most marginalized communities in the Great Lakes region of Africa. Twa women who have been raped by belligerents are usually afraid to take legal action, and are often ostracized by their communities who fear they have become infected with HIV. Among the Twa women interviewed for MRG's new report "Twa Women, Twa Rights in the Great Lakes Region of Africa"1, only 9 percent could read or write. Few women older than 20 years have completed more than three years in primary school. Few are legally married, thus depriving them and their children of legal protection against eviction in the case of the death of their husband, and rights to family property. Because of the general marginalisation of the Twa, Twa women are often forced into prostitution.

The situation of women victims of the armed conflict in Darfur (Western Sudan) is especially precarious. According to the World Food Programme, of the 135,000 Sudanese refugees in Chad, 40% are children under five and about 75% of the adult refugees are women"2. They live in precarious conditions in makeshift shelters of branches and grass with insufficient food, medication or sanitation. In March a group of about 3,000 refugees, mainly women, who had fled the conflict in Darfur and taken refuge in Khartoum, were forced to move by the authorities"3. U.N. Under-Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs Jan Egeland has described the situation in Darfur as "ethnic cleansing".

The situation of Roma women in South-East Europe is documented in an MRG workshop report, "Gender and Minority Issues: Awareness-Raising Regional Seminar" (1). Roma women in the region suffer particularly from lack of access to education and health care. The poverty prevalent in Roma communities can lead to violence in the household, and Roma women are often scared and unable to fight for their rights. Roma women also face violence from the majority society. Many Roma women face difficulties if they move outside traditional roles, and single Roma women often are not respected within their communities. It can be hard for Roma women to challenge patriarchal values among both the majority population and male Roma activists.

Recommendations

All UN bodies working on discrimination against women, and those looking at discrimination against minorities, should specifically address the situation of minority women wherever appropriate. For example, CEDAW might consider holding a thematic discussion on minority women.

Women's NGOs and minority NGOs, on the international and national level, should coordinate their efforts in order to tackle more effectively the situation of minority women, for example by promoting the capacity of minority women to participate in decision-making processes.

Intergovernmental bodies, governments and NGOs should have clear, long-term strategies when working on gender equality and minority rights. Country assistance strategies, such as Poverty Reduction Strategy Papers, should be developed with the full and effective participation of minorities, to include men and women, at all stages including design, implementation and monitoring.

Donors should provide resources and capacity building support to minority and women's organizations to help them implement effective advocacy and development programmes for minority women, and support initiatives to collect and disseminate disaggregated statistics on access of minority women to economic opportunity, education and health.

With regard to the situation in Darfur, and in accordance with the U.N. Security Council's statement last week, the Sudan government and rebel groups should protect civilians, help aid workers gain access to needy regions, agree on a humanitarian cease-fire and reach a political settlement to the dispute.

Thank you Mr Chair.

(1) available on our website, www.minorityrights.org
(2) CHAD-SUDAN: WFP Says Plight of Darfur Refugees Getting Worse, Issued by the United Nations Integrated Regional Information Network (IRIN) dated 26th December 2003.
(3) UN Integrated Regional Information Networks, March 22, 2004