A/67/270 access to water or sanitation services. 15 Dalits often suffer discrimination in accessing water and sanitation, 16 while Roma are most disadvantaged in many European countries. 17 Moreover, the Special Rapporteur’s attention has repeatedly been drawn to vast gender inequalities and multiple discrimination, or the compounded impact of various grounds of discrimination on the same individual or group. For instance, women and girls are overwhelmingly tasked with collecting water and are physically and sexually threatened when they fetch water. 18 Persons with disabilities are also disproportionately represented among those who lack access to safe drinking water and sanitation. 19 33. The United Nations System Task Team on the Post-2015 Development Agenda has noted that, in developing countries, access to water and sanitation, among others, are much worse for low-income and rural families. Despite progress in poverty reduction in the overall picture, the report argues, major inequalities persist. 20 34. It then put forward equality as one of the fundamental principles providing the foundation for the post-2015 agenda, alongside human rights and sustainability. 21 Unless action is taken to deliberately address the discrimination and inequalities that particular groups face, the post-2015 goals will likely fail to address the underlying truth behind the figures: Millennium Development Goal indicators are consistently worse for discriminated groups in every region. 22 35. Often, inequalities intersect and their effects accumulate over time. Without an explicit focus on multiple discrimination, these effects can continue unabated and stifle progress. Social, cultural, economic and political inequalities all have reinforcing effects that perpetuate social exclusion. Hence, a focus on intersectional inequalities is indispensable. 23 In fact, the Committee on Economic Social and Cultural Rights speaks to this crucial point in paragraph 17 of its General comment No. 20, stating that “cumulative discrimination has a unique and specific impact on individuals and merits particular consideration and remedying”. 36. Being disadvantaged relates to different factors such as ethnicity, language, religion, caste, gender, age, disability, nationality, and others. While the focus of the equity discourse is often on people living in poverty, it must not be forgotten that the world’s poorest are not randomly distributed — they disproportionately share one or several of the factors that commonly lead to exclusion and discrimination. 37. In order to properly assess progress in reducing inequalities, monitoring must go beyond inequities in income because focusing on income disparities does not address the root causes of exclusion and lack of access to social development, including water and sanitation. Examining these other factors explains why people __________________ 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 12-45653 See, for example, mission to Costa Rica (A/HRC/12/24/Add.1), para. 48. See, for example, mission to Bangladesh (A/HRC/15/55), para. 25. See, for example, mission to Slovenia (A/HRC/18/33/Add.2), para. 33. See, for example, mission to Egypt (A/HRC/15/31/Add.3 and Add.1), para. 22. See, for example, mission to Bangladesh (A/HRC/15/55), para. 21. United Nations System Task Team on the Post-2015 Development Agenda, “Realizing the future we want for all: report to the Secretary-General” (New York, 2012), para. 32. Ibid., para. 53. Melamed, “Putting inequality”, p. 4 (see footnote 2 above). Dolf te Lintelo, “Summary: inequality and social justice roundtable consultation”, MDG Achievement Fund and Institute of Development Studies (2011), p. 3. 11