37% of the Roma women in Moldova appreciate the state of health as bad or very bad. For 80% of the Roma women, the high costs of medical services and drugs are the reason for not going to see a doctor. The profile of the Roma girls and women developed by UN Women Moldova and the National Bureau of Statistics shows that each fourth Roma woman suffers from lung diseases and two out of five women have high blood pressure. 17% of the Roma women and girls suffer from anxiety or chronic depreciation, while 21% lost at least one pregnancy. Also, less than half of the Roma women possess a health policy, IPN reports.
The same study shows that five in ten Roma women older than 16 do not have studies, two graduated from the primary school, two graduated from the secondary school, while one graduated from the lyceum, a vocational school or the university. Only two of three Roma women aged over 16 can read and write. Of the 15-64 age category, each fourth women is economically active. Eight out of ten Roma women work in the informal sector. The low level of alphabetization and studies, the lack of professional skills/qualifications as a result of the limited access to education powerfully affects the capacities of Roma women and girls in assuming the social and economic roles.
The profile shows that the Roma women and girls are one of the most disadvantaged groups in Moldova. Their vulnerability to social exclusion is determined by a series of discriminatory factors based on gender, class, ethnic group and race that influence not only their role and position in the community, but also the equal access to education, labor market, health insurance, social protection, civil life, etc.
Over 66% of the Roma women live under the absolute poverty line, compared with 38.9% of the non-Roma women. At the same time, the number of Roma families that live in ruined houses or poor quarters with degrading social infrastructure is three times higher than of non-Roma families. The Roma women are frequently outside the public social insurance system. The accessibility of the social assistance system for Roma women depends on their knowledge of the existent benefits.
