Last week, from November 25 to 28, the Roma Women’s Conference was held in Zagreb, bringing together some of the most prominent figures of the Roma women’s movement in Europe. It was organized by the Croatian Romani Union “KALI SARA” with the support of the organizing committee and Member of Parliament Veljko Kajtazi. The technical and conceptual preparations had begun almost a year earlier. These preparations largely focused on analyzing national and European strategies and reports aimed at improving the quality of life for the Roma community, with the goal of determining the extent and manner in which Roma women are represented in them, and comparing their actual status across European countries. The analysis included relevant strategic documents of the European Union and the Council of Europe, as well as similar documents from around 20 European countries where the Roma population constitutes a significant proportion of the overall population.
The analysis of these national and European strategic documents concluded that public policy awareness regarding the position of Roma women marked by multiple forms of discrimination—is present but still insufficient and inconsistent. When considering that these strategic documents are meant to guide actions aimed at concretely improving this position, and that the Roma community remains one of the most marginalized and discriminated social groups, it becomes clear how much work is still needed to enhance the lives of Roma women in Europe.
Accordingly, the Roma Women’s Conference in Zagreb was designed to enable participants to thoroughly examine the current situation of Roma women in European society through intensive discussions during the working sessions and, based on this, to identify new strategic solutions for systematically improving their position. The conclusions emerging from these discussions are both general and concrete, as they point to structural, well-known barriers affecting Roma women across the continent. They address four overarching thematic areas: political participation, economic empowerment, education of Roma women, and combating stereotypes and discrimination.
Conference participants presented their conclusions and demands in detail. Regarding political participation, they called on policymakers to increase the political representation of Roma women in all areas of public life, not only in matters directly concerning the Roma community. They emphasized that within guaranteed gender quotas, due to intersectional discrimination, at least one seat for Roma women should be secured in all elections to political bodies at national and European levels. They also demanded that Roma women participate in all bodies appointed by national governments, parliaments, and local and regional authorities, alongside the establishment of political education and mentoring programs, “Roma Women for Roma Women”, to empower them for political engagement. Participants particularly highlighted the need for effective sanctions against political violence and discrimination, including all forms of threats and the use of hate speech, with special attention to ethnic and gender identity.
Regarding economic empowerment, participants called for ensuring the sustainability of Roma initiatives through stronger support and partnerships with national governments, reducing dependence on project-based funding. They proposed temporary positive measures whereby, if all job application criteria are met, a Roma woman should be employed in institutions, public administration bodies, and state-owned or local/regional government-owned companies. They also suggested that the state provide financial incentives to employers hiring Roma women or offer relief on pension and health insurance contributions, and that authorities introduce special employment, self-employment, and job promotion measures, particularly aimed at Roma women.
In the field of education, participants demanded scholarships and tuition support for women of middle and older age returning to school. They proposed quotas for Roma women in secondary schools and higher education institutions, provided that admission criteria remain equal. They also stressed the need for flexible educational opportunities and access to childcare facilities, supported through local measures, to enable Roma women to continue their studies and higher education without interruption. Cooperation with institutions, public administration bodies, and state- or local/regional government-owned companies should be formalized through scholarship agreements that include employment. Participants further emphasized the importance of training programs aimed at sensitizing national and local institutions to Roma women’s issues.
Finally, in combating discrimination and stereotypes, participants called for the inclusion of Roma cultural and identity education in mandatory preschool and school curricula, which could be implemented through existing subjects, aiming to dismantle stereotypes and prejudices. They also proposed hiring Roma women as cultural mediators in schools to support Roma children during their time at school and ensure their safety and educational support.
Beyond these conclusions and efforts to implement them, one of the main objectives of the Conference was to open an office for a future international European network of Roma women in Brussels, one of the administrative seats of the European Union. This would allow the network to directly advocate for the Conference’s goals at the highest European institutional level and facilitate financial, organizational, and other support for the work of local, regional, and national Roma women’s and feminist organizations dedicated to improving the position of Roma women, particularly in less-developed parts of Europe.
In addition to other factors that made this Conference significant, such as the equal engagement of all participants and the fact that it was organized by a Roma association, it is notable for its conclusions and objectives. These are aptly summarized in the Conference’s subtitle, “Life After the Conference,” highlighting that implementing the conclusions is as important—if not more so—than their adoption.
