The Roma in Europe

By Nick Laramee, Greer Schneider & Olivia Lowry

History of roma people in the czech republic
● Nomads originally from India
● Migrated in 9th century — Arrived in the Czech Republic during the early 15th century
● Catholic church encourages the persecution of Roma people
● Czech lands legalize killing of Roma people for period of time, beginning in 1697
● Industrialization left Roma minority behind — most Romas were illiterate and out of
work at the turn of the 19th century
● Persecution and extermination by the Nazis during WWII
● Treatment and discrimination in the 20th century lead to poor conditions:
● Low education
○ ⅔ men and ¾ women do not attend school past elementary level
○ Roma children were often sent to remedial and special needs school
● High reliance on state welfare
● High percentage of Roma children in orphanages or fostercare
The Normalization period (1970s-1980s)
● Integration of the Roma into Czech society occured in the 1970s and 1980s
● The programme for the integration was implemented as a state policy after
1970
● Union of Gypsies-Roma was founded in the late 1960s
○ First Roma civic organization
○ Strongly influenced policies targeting Roma minority for three years
● Roma population were not in official documents acknowledged as a distinct
ethnic minority until 1990
● Roma people became more dependent on social benefits and welfare social
system
● Most of the Roma population did not trust social institutions/education
○ Problem of education and care for children became a widely discussed
issue
● During this period, the social systems in all communist countries operated
with a racist framework
Transition period (1990s)
● Charter 77 and Dissidents advocated for human rights, including Romas
● 1991: Roma nationality added to the Czech census
○ Official data can now be collected
○ Only a fraction of the population actually declares themselves as Roma
● Studies released in 1990s highlighted problems faced by Roma minority
○ Ex. Involuntary sterilization of Roma women since the 1970s
● Czech Helsinki Committee Report on the State of Human Rights in the Czech Republic
(1994)
○ Criticized the status of Roma in Czech society
● Transition from communism led to even higher unemployment
○ 26.6% unemployment rate in 2002
○ Criminality problems rose due to unemployment
○ Increased dependence on social welfare, unable to afford adequate healthcare or
childcare
Impact of European union and discourse of multiculturalism
● Led to “three-dimensional approach” to the Roma issue
○ Re-establishing Roma cultural patterns/rediscover the Roma identity
● Council of the Government and the Czech Republic for Roma Community Affairs attempted
to integrate Roma minorities into society on a systematic basis
○ Key document: “The Roma Integration Policy Concept”
● Report on the State of Roma Communities in the Czech Republic was created in 2004 to
solve the issue on a lack of information on the Roma population (especially on
involvement in society)
○ Focused on medium-term goals
● Main goal of 2004-2010: improve social status of Roma people (education, housing,
health, and labour market areas)
● Key concept currently: social inclusion and discourse of multiculturalism
○ Not just a language barrier problem, but a cultural barrier problem
○ Highly discussed topic currently is about Roma women in the family, society, and
discrimination they face
Czech Roma Women
● What do they have in common with Czech women?
○ Discrimination in access to education and the labour market, housing
segregation, risk of poverty, etc.
● General discrimination with patriarchal structure in Roma families
● Significant portion of Roma women are unemployed
○ Leading to an increase in prostitution as a last resort for Roma
Women
● Often victims of domestic violence
● Current generation of young Roma women play a significant role in family
decision-making and in having access to money in the household
● Several members of the young generation of Roma women in the Czech
Republic have established civic groups to fight for more rights
Disadvantages Towards Ethnic Minority Women
● Lack of access to Education
○ Due to household duties, language barrier, isolation
○ Girls leave school earlier than boys due to family responsibilities
○ Reluctance of schools to enroll Roma children due to parents not
wanting their children in school with Roma children
● Housing Conditions
○ Segregated, Over-crowded
○ Isolated with little access to public transportation
○ High risk of eviction
○ Contributes to health problems
● Poor Health Conditions
○ Considerably lower life expectancy
○ Higher rate of pregnancy, abortion, disease, malnutrition
○ Difficult access to healthcare service
● Access to Social Benefits
○ Due to low income, temporary employment, and lack of paperwork
○ Often live isolated far away from these services
● Access to employment
○ Unemployment rate among Roma women higher than the rest of the
population
○ Face prejudice in hiring, promotion, wages
○ Traditional domestic family roles
○ Many are self-employed, reducing eligibility for unemployment
benefits
● Limited Access to Financial Services
○ Difficulty buying houses or opening a bank account
○ Because many don’t have secure employment they are uneligable for
these services
● Social Prejudice
○ Roma women are seen for traditional role as caregivers
○ Rarely represented in parliament, even in countries where they make
up large parts of the population
○ Many women are treated disrespectfully and followed/harassed on a day
to day basis
○ Some restaurants and businesses do not permit Roma women to enter if
they are in traditional dress
Discrimination Towards Women Within Roma Culture
● Women seen as caretakers and responsible for only household
duties
○ This is an obstacle to their education and opportunity for employment
● Men seen as dominant, women seen as submissive
● Young women are held back from participating in public life;
must be chaperoned when they leave the community
● Divorce/separation is uncommon
○ If they do separate, the man is given all of the power and can decide
what to do with the children
● Domestic violence is common
○ Often seen as a socially acceptable practice due to submissive role
of women
Roma Video
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0JpWJc3HaAI
Questions for the Class
● What is your solution to the issues talked about for the
Roma population involving the discrimination, racism, and
lack of societal integration?
● Do you think that the Czech Republic government is doing
enough on the issue?
● Do you see this type of discrimination on any specific
races or minority groups in the United States?
● Do you think that the Roma people can be integrated fully
into the Czech Republic society eventually? Can they ever
reach equality?
● How does Susan Okid’s Essay relate to this issue? What do
you think she would say about the Roma Women?