The regional conference on the economic situation of Roma women in the Western Balkans region, organized by the Roma Integration 2020 (RI2020) project of the Regional Cooperation Council (RCC) in cooperation with the Government of Serbia and CARE International Balkans, began today in Belgrade.
The Vice-President of the Government of Serbia, Zorana Mihajlović, under whose auspices this meeting was organized, said at the opening of the conference that the task of every society - both in Serbia and in the entire region - is to create equal opportunities for everyone, including economic independence for women, especially members of the Roma community. population. Mihajlović added that, although the statistics in Serbia are not commendable, key steps towards this goal have been taken by adopting key documents, and especially by implementing IPA projects. On this occasion, she emphasized the importance of a regional approach in overcoming the problems faced by the Roma community and empowering Roma women.
"Roma women are the most vulnerable group and the region desperately needs proposals on how to ensure their economic independence, so that they start education from an early age, and later get a job and make their own decisions. Nine out of ten young Roma women between the ages of 18 and 24 in the entire region are not in school, do not attend training, or are employed, as shown in the regional survey on the position of Roma for 2017, which is why there is a great need to invest in their education, employment, economic independence and empowerment," said the General Secretary of the Regional Cooperation Council, Goran Svilanović, at the opening of the conference.
Svilanović reminded that by providing equal opportunities for Roma, opportunities are not taken away from others, but opportunities that were taken away from Roma by hidden or even open practices of discrimination, exclusion and marginalization are now being returned to them. "The integration of Roma is not only one of the important priorities for the enlargement region as part of the process of accession to the European Union, but it is also a need of our societies, because it reduces social benefits and increases tax revenues," added Svilanović.
During two days, more than 130 government officials, representatives of civil society organizations and international organizations from the region will have the opportunity to hear data and more information about measures to improve the position of Roma women in terms of employment in the entire region, and especially about the issues of Roma health mediators, the causes of economic dependence , starting from early childhood and youth (such as obstacles in education, early marriages and pregnancies), lack of professional orientation, child labor and begging, and early socialization of Roma girls. The conference entitled "Economic (in)dependence of Roma women: challenges and early causes" will deal with the causes and consequences of economic (in)dependence of Roma women in early childhood and youth, as well as multidimensional discrimination based on gender and ethnic origin, and will propose further steps for more effective employment policies for Roma women in the private and public sector.
Mateja Norčič Štamcar, Deputy Head of the EU Delegation in Serbia, emphasized on this occasion that the issue of Roma integration is extremely important for Serbia and all others in the region as well as the EU member states, and that in order to achieve lasting change on this issue in Serbia and the EU region, continue to provide financial support.
Among the speakers at the conference are the minister without portfolio Aksel Ahmedovski in charge of implementing the Strategy for improving the position of Roma in Macedonia, the regional director of the CARE International Balkans organization Sumka Bučan, the director of UNICEF in Serbia Ređina de Dominićis, as well as officials of the ministries of economy from the region and representatives of organizations of civil society that deal with Roma and gender issues.
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