Romani women represent one of the most excluded groups in Moldova. They experience lower levels of education, significantly higher rates of unemployment and poorer health than the population-at-large, reveals a United Nations report, quoted by IPN.

According to the report, 45% of Roma women in Moldova have no formal studies (including primary education) compared to 2% of non-Roma women and 33% of Roma men. Romani girls are particularly vulnerable to school abandonment and low educational attainment, due to the role many are required to play in their family and child marriages.

Access to health care and others services, as well as to the formal labor market, also remains problematic. Roma are twice as likely as non-Roma in the Republic of Moldova to lack health insurance. Anti-Romani sentiment is currently very high in the Republic of Moldova.

The Government of Moldova is currently in the course of implementing Moldova’s second Action Plan on Roma inclusion (2011-2015). A decision establishing a network of Roma Community was taken in 2013.   A total of 48 mediators (44 communities) are to be engaged from the state budget by the end of 2014.

The report on the situation of Romani women and girls in the Republic of Moldova was launched on the International Day against Racial Discrimination that is marked on March 21.