Roma women in the country have no education, are not employed and seldom go to the doctor. These are the findings of an opinion poll that reflects the needs of Roma women between the ages of 16 and 65. The survey was conducted by the Roma Women and Girls Network in the Republic of Moldova.

At an IPN press conference, Cristina Răducan, chairperson of the Network, mentioned that the survey was conducted on the basis of questionnaires, during which the perception of about 500 Roma women from 47 settlements was tested.

Research has shown that 40% of Roma women in the country have no education, 86% do not have a job, and 28% have not been to the doctor in the last five years. The survey also showed that women are mostly informed about the need for education, health, etc. by community mediators.

Elena Radița, a community mediator in Râșcani, says that 60% of Roma women in her settlement say they live worse than others. 88% of Roma women go to the polls, while 77% want to gain access to leadership positions. "Things can change for the better with our help, the main thing is to want this and to get involved," said Elena Radița.

The members of the Roma Women and Girls Network request that the results of the survey be taken into account when drawing up the next action plan to support the Roma population in 2020-2024, and that the Roma women be involved in its development. Another demand is to diversify curricula for Roma women so that they can study outside of schools too. Also, a stronger involvement of community mediators is required in informing Roma citizens and their empowerment. It is necessary to capitalize on the specific trades of Roma women at local level and to promote their success stories.

The manifesto will be distributed to the deputies, the development partners, the line ministries, the mayors of large Roma communities.

Over the next four years, the Roma Women and Girls Network intends to repeat the survey to see if there will be any changes.