Declaration of the international conference "Public policies and Romani women in Central and East European countries"

12 April 2000

3 - 5 December 1999, Bucharest, Romania

The conference, organised by the Association of Romani Women in Romania with the support of the Open Society Institute brought together more than 20 Romani women from Bulgaria, Croatia, Hungary, Macedonia, Yugoslavia and Romania.

The conference addressed the participation of Romani women in public life, and issues related to health and education. The discussions focused on the status of Romani women at different levels of society, the existing resources on national and international level for promoting the rights of Romani women, and elements of a future strategy for Romani Women in civil society, governments and international organisations. Participants stressed the fundamental role of discrimination and racism confronting Romani women.

The following priorities for future work have been identified:

• organisation of a broader study and inventory of the projects addressed to Romani women, with the aim of elaborating a methodology;
• to integrate Romani women's issues in the Romani movement; women's rights movement; ecumenical movement, and the agendas of governments and international organisations;
• to lobby for the inclusion of Romani women's issues in the national strategies concerning Roma, and in the state policies concerning women's rights;
• to increase the participation of Romani women in decision-making bodies related to public policies concerning Roma and in political life;
• to improve the level of leadership skills amongst Romani women;
• to promote policies that create more individual choices in relation to migration, family planning, culture and education;
• to strengthen already existing Romani women's organisations, and to support the creation of new organisations throughout the region;
  To implement these priorities, the participants decided to create a European network, which has the main aims of establishing the means for regular communication and promoting the rights of Romani women. This network with function horizontally, on the basis of equality of all participating organisations and women.

Undersigned,

Ágnes Daróczi
Romedia Foundation - Hungary
Fundacia Romedia - Hungaria

Atanaska Ivanova
Bulgaria

Cristinela Ionescu
Open the Doors - Romania
Phrav o Udara - Rumunia

Jelena Jovanović,
Association of Young Roma Researchers - Yugoslavia
Asociacia Terne Romenqi pal o Rodipe

Blanka Kozma
Association of Roma Women in Public Life - Hungary
Asociacia le Romane Giuvlenqi and-o Publikano Givipe

Letiţia Mark,
Association of Gypsy Women for their Children – Romania
Asociacia le Romane Giuvlenqi andar pesqe Chave

Lili Kovacheva
Bulgaria

Mariana Buceanu
Romani CRISS (Roma Center for Social Intervention and Studies) - Romania
Romani CRISS (O Centro le Romenqo andar Intervencia Socialno thaj Studie) - Rumunia

Mihaela Zatreanu
Association of Roma Women in Romania
Asociacia le Romane Giuvlenqi andar i Rumunia

Nicoleta Biţu
Romani CRISS (Roma Center for Social Intervention and Studies) - Romania
Romani CRISS (O Centro le Romenqo andar Intervencia Socialno thaj Studie) -Rumunia

Remiza Memedi
Roma Women's Association for a Better Future - Croatia
Asociacia Romane Giuvlenqi andar jekh maj Lacho Anglunipe

Sali Ibrahim
Roma Mother - Bulgaria
Romani Daj - Bulgaria

Salomeea Romanescu
Romania

Sarita Jašarova
European Roma Rights Center - Macedonia/Hungary
Evropaqo Centro andar o Hakaja le Romenqe - Makedonia/Hungaria

Slavka Rusinova
Association of Romani Women "Unia" - Bulgaria
Asociacia le Romane Giuvlenqi "Khetanipen" - Bulgaria

Stanka Dimitrov
Young Romani Researchers - Yugoslavia
Romane Terne Roditorea - Jugoslavia

Snejana Ivanova
Romani Mother - Bulgaria
Romani Daj - Bulgaria

Violeta Dumitru
Association of Roma Women in Romania
Asociacia le Romane Giuvlenqi andar i Rumunia