The unique study UPre Women: the status and empowerment of women in selected marginalised Roma communities maps what, who and especially how helps Roma women to improve their status and living conditions. In doing so, the researchers also focused on empowerment, a tool used in community development around the world. Simply put, it’s about: teaching people to catch a fish, not giving it to them ready-made.
The Carpathian Foundation started working on the research study in 2021 and approached Mgr. Gisela Brutovská, PhD.; doc. Mgr. Monika Bosú, PhD.; doc. Mgr. Adriana Jesenko, PhD.; doc. PhDr. Michal Vašečka, PhD. These experts have created a unique documentary that describes the life situation of 68 Roma women (from Dobšinje, Veľký Krtíš and Luník IX in Košice) and focuses on their status and empowerment, as well as what helps them to get into the labour market and what obstacles stand in their way of finding work. It rarely gives voice to Roma women from marginalised backgrounds. These women experience ethnic, gender and geographic marginalisation, but also the violence to which they are often subjected. It is the improvement of “empowerment” that can help them overcome such extreme obstacles, find jobs, improve the situation of their families and thus develop entire communities.
What is empowerment?
Empowerment is a tool used in community development around the world. With a certain amount of simplification, the idea is to teach people to catch a fish and not to give it to them ready-made, but at the same time it is also an effort to convince Roma women that they can, know and want to catch a fish.Throughthis process they can empower themselves, work on their development, overcome feelings of helplessness and despair, but also discover and “dig up” their hidden abilities somewhere.
"I started working as an ironer in a company where they made, I mean sewed tracksuits, sportswear. After a while I enjoyed the work, but I was more interested in the sewing when I saw how the women sewed. So I taught myself how to sew and they took me on as a seamstress. I have worked as a seamstress for about 15 years, among other jobs."
Roma women hold enormous potential for improving the status of the marginalised Roma community, yet they are given little attention when setting strategies and goals within internal policies. That is why the Carpathian Foundation is dedicated to improving their status and empowerment. It takes into account the specific needs of marginalised Roma women.
The study consists of two parts:
- quantitative research on the empowerment of women from two marginalised Roma communities (Dobšiná, Veľký Krtíš) and
- qualitative research on the “paths” of Roma women from marginalised environments (Dobšiná, Veľký Krtiš, Luník IX. in Košice) who have succeeded on the labour market.
Quantitative study
presents unique findings on the lives and levels of empowerment of Roma women in Dobšiná and Veľký Krtíš. As part of the study, the Carpathian Foundation developed indicators to measure the status and empowerment of women from marginalized backgrounds. The indicators can also be used in other contexts.
Qualitative study
It contains important insights into what helps resource-poor women to enter the labour market and what barriers stand in the way. It highlights the positive impact of work on their lives and the lives of their families. In their own words, it expresses how social exclusion on the basis of gender, ethnicity and geography is reflected in their lives, in the lives of their families.
The study is an excellent tool for setting further activities and public policies aimed at the development of marginalised Roma communities. On the basis of this, the Carpathian Foundation has set up a programme UPfor women: the Programme for the Development and Increasing Employability of Women from Marginalised Roma Communities.
The study was carried out by the Carpathian Foundation thanks to the financial support of the Embassy of the Kingdom of the Netherlands, Bratislava and the British Embassy in Bratislava.
