Episode #7: Voices of Romani women in a COVID world

03/08/21 • 19 min

The 8th of March is International Women's Day. This year, the theme for this date is: “Women in leadership: Achieving an equal future in a COVID-19 world,” It celebrates the tremendous efforts by women and girls around the world in shaping a more equal future and recovery from the COVID-19 pandemic, but also highlights the gaps that remain.

Today we will look at those women and girls who are far behind in terms of equality, who struggle to put food on the table, and how their road to leadership or even proper, inclusive education is longer than for others. This is the life of many Romani women in the Roma communities across Europe.

Our guests today are both Romani women, both leaders and both Roma rights defenders.

Ana Orsos is the ERRC’s women’s rights officer, she comes from Hungary, and she will be our first guest. She will be highlighting particular issues Romani women have faced since the start of the COVID crisis. In the other half of this episode Ethel Brooks the ERRCs first female Romani board chair will explain how these problems are actually connected to the lack of political will and deeply rooted antigypsyism.

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Our guests today are both Romani women, both leaders and both Roma rights defenders.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Previous Episode

Episode #6: So’s o Brexit? | What about Brexit?

In the last decade for many Eastern European Roma, the UK has become a safe place. Fleeing from discrimination, segregation, extreme poverty and racism, many Romani families have saught a better life there, around two hundred and thousand people to be precise.

After Brexit, they have become at risk of losing their right of residence. Some members of the community lack the documentation and digital skills necessary to apply for the EU Settlement Scheme known as the EUSS. The application can ONLY be done online. Sounds easy right? Not at all. For many Romani migrants this is simply impossible without extra help. Meanwhile the pandemic rages in the UK and the clock is ticking with only a few months left until the deadline JUNE 30, 2021.

In this episode of the Romani Tea Room representatives of Luton Roma Trust, local NGO in the UK will tell us why thousands of Romani migrants loose asylums in post-Brexit UK.

In the second part, we will discuss if Britain is a safe place for Roma or not.

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Next Episode

Episode #8: Roma Slavery in Romania - untold and denied

In February we marked 165 years since the abolition of Romani slavery on the territory of modern day Romania. Since the 14th century, Roma had been exploited and sold as property by the crown, nobilities and orthodox church. This racial domination of Roma lasted until 1856, but the scars of this not so distant history still remain.

Two months ago, the ERRC’s Advocacy and Communications Manager Jonathan Lee interviewed Dr. Margareta Matache, a Harvard University scholar from Romania. The short version of the interview was published on the ERRC’s social media channels, but today we will listen to more of their conversation, but in this episode Jonathan and Magda who talk about the painful heritage of slavery in modern Romania.

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