the role of gender equality in development: a case study of the roma minority in europe
TRANSCRIPT
THE ROLE OF GENDER EQUALITY INDEVELOPMENT: A CASE STUDY OFTHE ROMA MINORITY IN EUROPE
Benjamin Ignac,
B.A. Geography,
University of Oklahoma
CONTENT
•Who are the Roma?
•The Ethnic and Gender gap
•Women and Development
•Roma – a new generation
WHO ARE THE ROMA?
The migration of the Roma according to John Haywood (author
of “The Great Migrations: From the Earliest Humans to the Age
of Globalization”)
The official flag of the Roma (approved
in 1971 at the first World Romani
Congress in London, UK)
WHO ARE THE ROMA?
•Biggest and fastest growing minority in Europe (over 10 million members)
•Diverse linguistic and common cultural backgrounds
•Small closed communities – large families
•Established gender roles
•Facing segregation and discrimination
•Poor living conditions, significant gaps in education, employment and wealth
WHO ARE THE ROMA?
Isolated Roma settlement in northern Croatia
Roma settlement in Kosice, Slovakia (photographs by Bjoern Steinz)
WHO ARE THE ROMA?
THE ETHNIC AND GENDER GAP
•Roma culture is patriarchal with clearly established gender roles
•Roma women – a disadvantaged group within a disadvantaged group
•Female Roma have lower education and employment rates compared to males
WOMEN AND DEVELOPMENT
“Gender equality is more than a goal in
itself. It is a precondition for meeting the
challenge of reducing poverty, promoting
sustainable development and building good
governance.”
– Kofi Annan
WOMEN AND DEVELOPMENT
Female Education in Sub‐Saharan Africa: The Key to Development?
Browne and Barrett (1991)
Institutions working for Roma Integration:
ROMA – A NEW GENERATION
2005-2015 : Decade of Roma Inclusion
2011: EU Framework for National Roma Integration Strategies
Focus: education, employment, healthcare and housing
ROMA – A NEW GENERATION
•Increase Roma representation in all levels of education, government, and in general employment
•Don’t assimilate! Integrate!
•Learn more about the Roma culture
•Gender inequality among the Roma is not just a woman issue or a Roma issue. It is an everyone-issue.
•Education is the most powerful weapon which you can use to change the world (Nelson Mandela)
•We need to start enabling access to education for young Roma women
RESOURCES
Roma Data:http://www.eurasia.undp.org/content/rbec/en/home/ourwork/sustainable-development/development-planning-and-inclusive-sustainable-growth/roma-in-central-and-southeast-europe/roma-data.html
Roma History: https://www.opensocietyfoundations.org/voices/gypsies-roma-travellers-animated-history
Roma Initiatives: http://www.romadecade.org/decade-participiants-international-partner-organizations
About the author:Benjamin Ignac
University of [email protected]