A/64/279 that have become unaffordable, and at the same time they are more likely to fall ill because of poorer nutrition levels. Maternal mortality also rises as more childbirths are unattended. There is a risk that the Millennium Development Goals that relate to women will take even longer to achieve and that progress made with regard to gender equality will be slowed down or reversed. H. Impact on migrants 42. There appears to be no comprehensive studies of the effects of the economic downturn on migrant workers, mainly because different sectors of the economy where migrant workers are employed are affected differently by the crisis. Two issues, however, must be highlighted. First, even before the crisis started, many migrant workers in developed and developing countries alike were already “working poor”. Second, the false perception that migrants take jobs or that they compete for scarce welfare benefits tends to induce Governments to cut immigration numbers. 26 43. Past experiences show that migrant workers, especially female migrant workers, are extremely vulnerable in times of crisis. According to ILO, even if there are no actual job losses, migrant workers may be forced to accept lower wages and endure unsatisfactory working conditions in an attempt to retain their position and maintain a secure source of income. 27 Additionally, in times of recession, the lack of work opportunities and increased discrimination and xenophobia deeply affect migrants’ enjoyment of their human rights. I. Impact on groups that are victims of multiple forms of discrimination 44. When multiple grounds of discrimination are involved, the impact of the crisis is different and they must be assessed in its complexity. Despite the difficulties in assessing the full impact of the crisis on other specific groups that are vulnerable to discrimination, evidence from past crises indicates that additional groups are disproportionately affected. For example, in times of economic recession, those who are the last to enter the labour market are the first to exit. Thus, youth, the elderly and persons with disabilities are affected disproportionately. The current crisis is also likely to affect indigenous peoples disproportionately as they are historically among the poorest and most excluded groups. 45. Depending on the experience of the individual and the confluence of various grounds for discrimination such as gender, race, ethnicity, caste, social class, age, citizenship status and other factors, some individuals are going to experience much greater hardship as a result of the crisis. Thus, the interaction between, for example, grounds such as sex, age, race and disability must be taken into account together to assess the negative impact of the crisis on the enjoyment of human rights. __________________ 26 27 09-45276 “The impact of the global financial crisis on migration”, IOM Policy Brief (January 2009). Azfar Khan, Rola Abimourched, Ruxandra Oana Ciobanu, “The global economic crisis and the impact on migrant workers” (International Labour Organization, 7 April 2009). 11