Pavee Point’s Gabi Florica Muntean is representing Roma in Ireland at the Council of Europe’s Review Conference of Roma Women taking place in Macedonia this week.
The aim is to take stock of developments in the area of Romani women’s rights and social inclusion at national level since the first international conference of Roma women in 2007 in Sweden and to build on this. “Roma women need to be in positions of power to make decisions” said Soraya Post, Roma activist and Swedish politician for the Feminist Initiative party this week.
Through side events and workshops, the Conference also aims to provide space for Roma women and relevant stakeholders to exchange experiences, work results and good practices and build stronger cooperation across countries.
Participants will also discuss priority areas – namely the mainstreaming of gender in the national Roma integration strategies and local action plans, empowerment and participation as well as forms of violence against Roma women, with a focus on trafficking and child marriage.
The conclusions and recommendations of the Review Conference may serve as further guidelines for relevant policy makers at national level and international organisations, including the Council of Europe.
There are over 100 participants at the conference, including Roma women from 20 member States of the Council of Europe, political figures, government representatives and experts.