UPre women - the path to confidence and opportunities
These are the participants of the UPre Women programme – courageous Roma women who decided to change their lives, fight against obstacles and contribute to changing the discriminatory attitudes of the majority population in Slovakia towards the Roma minority
Many girls and women from excluded Roma communities were born into poor environments and thus do not have the same opportunities and chances to be educated or to develop their potential. This has a significant impact on their ability to find and keep a job. In addition, they experience multiple disadvantages resulting from ethnic, geographical and gender discrimination and from the physical and verbal violence to which they are often subjected – both within their families and in society.
Also for these reasons, only 32% of Roma women were working in 2020. 77% of young Roma women did not work, were not in education or further training.
In an effort to help and support these women, the Carpathian Foundation has created UPre women – program to build confidence and opportunities for Roma womenwhich increases the employability of women from marginalised Roma communities, develops their skills and knowledge and enables them to build a healthy self-esteem.
NEWS
The Digital World Should Connect, Not Exclude
The digital world is changing faster than ever before. For some, it is full of opportunities; for others, it is yet another barrier. In Luník
When intergenerational poverty is solved together
Intergenerational poverty is a problem for the entire community, not just for the people who live in it. Because a village can only thrive to
UPre women has a new look. Who designed the new program design?
The UPre Women program deserved a design that embodies not only its mission but also the strength and courage of UPre women. The new identity for UPre Women was the subject of a final-year project, and this is how it all came about.
Women shortlisted for a prestigious European award
The UPre Women program has been shortlisted among the eight finalists for the 2026 CEB Award for Social Cohesion, selected from 177 nominations from across
The Digital World Should Connect, Not Exclude
The digital world is changing faster than ever before. For some, it is full of opportunities; for others, it is yet another barrier. In Luník
When intergenerational poverty is solved together
Intergenerational poverty is a problem for the entire community, not just for the people who live in it. Because a village can only thrive to
UPre women has a new look. Who designed the new program design?
The UPre Women program deserved a design that embodies not only its mission but also the strength and courage of UPre women. The new identity for UPre Women was the subject of a final-year project, and this is how it all came about.
Women shortlisted for a prestigious European award
The UPre Women program has been shortlisted among the eight finalists for the 2026 CEB Award for Social Cohesion, selected from 177 nominations from across
The programme is implemented by:
Financial and programme partners
Get involved!
Are you an employer near Košice or Lipany? Are you interested in joining us in enabling Roma women from marginalised backgrounds to gain work experience and integrate into the labour market? Contact us on natalia.prihodova@karpatskanadacia.sk or +421 903 497 082.
Are you interested in supporting the development and increasing employability of women from marginalised Roma communities? Contact us on veronika.m.fricova@karpatskanadacia.sk or +421 949 174 809.
The UPre Women program was supported by:
UPre Women is implemented in cooperation with:
The programme is co-financed by the European Union under the Slovakia Programme.
The project “Upre Women: developing Roma women’s skills for the labour market” is funded by the European Union through the Slovakia Programme. The provider is the Ministry of Investment, Regional Development and Informatisation of the Slovak Republic represented by the Ministry of Education, Research, Development and Youth of the Slovak Republic. The implementation period is from 1. 9. 2025 to 31. 8. 2027, the NFA is in the amount of 293 423,20 EUR.
