E/C.12/ROU/CO/3-5 Furthermore, the Committee is concerned at the prevailing hostility of public opinion towards the Roma (art. 2, para. 2). The Committee recommends that the State party adopt a human rights-based approach in addressing discrimination against the Roma, including by: (a) Collecting disaggregated statistical data, on the basis of selfidentification, on the number of Roma living in the country and on their access to employment, social security, housing, health care and education, with a view to formulating, implementing and monitoring targeted and coordinated programmes and policies at the national level aimed at improving their socioeconomic situation; (b) Pursuing the efforts made to provide the Roma with personal documents, including birth certificates, which are necessary for the enjoyment of their rights under the Covenant; (c) Ensuring that the Strategy and action plans on Roma inclusion contain specific measures aimed at addressing the problems faced by the Roma in accessing employment, social security, housing, health care and education; (d) Continuing to address negative prejudices and stereotypes, which are among the underlying causes of the systemic discrimination and social exclusion experienced by the Roma. Gender equality 10. The Committee is concerned that women are still significantly underrepresented in public offices, particularly in elected and appointed national and local government bodies (arts. 3 and 6). The Committee recommends that the State party consider: (a) Introducing temporary special measures, such as quotas, for candidates to elections and public offices with a view to promoting gender equality; (b) Strengthening measures, such as childcare services and parental leave, with a view to achieving a more balanced sharing of professional and family responsibilities between women and men. Unemployment 11. The Committee is concerned at the low overall employment rate in the State party and the level of high long-term unemployment. It is particularly concerned that, despite targeted measures, the rate of unemployment among young persons, Roma, and persons with disabilities remains high. In addition, the Committee notes with concern that 16.8 per cent of people between 15 and 24 years were neither in employment nor in education or training in 2012 (arts. 2, para. 2, and 6). The Committee recommends that the State party step up its efforts to further reduce unemployment, in particular unemployment among young people, Roma, and persons with disabilities, including by: (a) Prioritizing vocational training, especially for the long-term unemployed in order to strengthen their position in the labour market, taking into account the needs of disadvantaged and marginalized individuals and groups; (b) Pursuing and strengthening the programmes addressing youth unemployment and maintaining the incentives for employers who create new jobs for young people, including young graduates with disabilities, and youth with a social 4