A/HRC/43/42 woman with albinism can heal HIV was reported. In 2016, in its concluding observations on the combined seventh and eighth periodic reports of the United Republic of Tanzania, the Committee on the Elimination of Discrimination against Women raised concerns about harmful practices against women with albinism, noting the practice of prescribing sex with girls or women with albinism as a cure for HIV, ritual killings and attacks on persons with albinism, including women and girls, the use of their body parts for purposes of witchcraft, and the stigma and social exclusion suffered by mothers of children with albinism (CEDAW/C/TZA/CO/7-8, para. 18 (b)). 69. In some cases, women with albinism are perceived to be of less value than other women, and are thus subjected to sexual humiliation and sexual assault by their partner. 90 Such instances are often not reported, particularly in marital contexts. In addition, women and girls with albinism are frequently sexually exploited by men, but rejected for relationships or marriage, especially if they become pregnant. 91 Thus, they become destitute with limited opportunities to fend for themselves and the new baby. 70. In extreme cases, especially in South, East, West and Central Africa, women and children impacted by albinism are kidnapped or sacrificed for ritual purposes. Their organs and body parts are harvested for preparing “charms for magic and spiritual powers”. In other cases, they are simply murdered to ensure that they do not procreate. 92 The majority of the victims of these crimes are children. 71. Cases have also been reported in which mothers of babies with albinism have been accused of witchcraft and subjected to physical harm on ill-founded claims that such babies are a curse or a bad omen to the community in which they reside. 93 Giving birth to a child with albinism is considered a curse in certain societies, which leads to the ostracization of mothers of babies with albinism in their communities in the misbelief that they have “bad spirits”.94 8. Data for decision-making 72. Nearly all submissions received indicated that there are limited data (including surveys and censuses) on persons with albinism, particularly women and children impacted by the condition.95 Most data that are available have merely captured the number of females and males with disabilities in general.96 73. Consequently, there are limited data available to strategically support initiatives for women and children with albinism. However, progress is being made. Namibia, Sierra Leone, the United Republic of Tanzania and most recently, Kenya and Malawi, have conducted national censuses that included specific questions in order to collect data on the number of persons with albinism. They used a modified version of the Washington Group short set of questions on disability. These initial data give impetus to in-depth situational analyses that could address and provide comprehensive data on the specific issues faced by women and children impacted by albinism, beyond the collection of data disaggregated by sex. 90 91 92 93 94 95 96 14 Submissions from Eswatini, Kenya, Nigeria and Senegal. Submissions from Togo, Uganda and Zimbabwe. Aloy Ojilere and Musa Saleh, “Violation of dignity and life: challenges and prospects for women and girls with albinism in sub-Saharan Africa”, Journal of Human Rights and Social Work, vol. 4, No. 2 (September 2019). Ibid. The Independent Expert has also received anecdotal reports of similar situations in China, India and other parts of Asia and the Caribbean. Submissions from Burundi, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Eswatini, Ghana, Kenya, Mozambique, Senegal and Uganda. Submissions from Angola, Argentina, Australia, Azerbaijan, Belgium, Burkina Faso, Burundi, Cameroon, Chile, Colombia, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Ecuador, Eswatini, France, Germany, Ghana, Guatemala (Government), Guinea, Haiti, Jordan, Kenya, Mali, Mexico (census being developed), Mozambique, Nigeria, Niger, Panama, Senegal, Slovenia (Government), Somalia, United Republic of Tanzania (although Lund and Roberts use Tanzanian census data collected in 2012), Turkey, Uganda, Venezuela (Bolivarian Republic of), Zambia and Zimbabwe. See, for example, a submission from a stakeholder in the United Republic of Tanzania.