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3rd Roma Women Students Gathering, Greece
Alternative Innovative Development organized their third Roma Women Students Gathering, in the 4th primary School of Tyrnavos
See the video
View the gathering reports:
IV Roma Students Gathering of Catalonia
The 4th Meeting of Roma Students in Catalonia for the RTransform Project took place on 10 June 2023 at the Faculty of Philosophy and Letters of the Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona (UAB), located in Bellaterra, Barcelona. The meeting was attended by 77 Roma women from the municipalities of Amposta and Tortosa (Tarragona), Salt, Font de la Pólvora, Figueres, (Girona), Gavá, Badalona (Barcelona), and from different neighbourhoods of Barcelona, such as La Mina, Bon Pastor and San Cosme.
The inaugural table was hosted by the rector of the Autonomous University, Javier Lafuente, and the dean of the Faculty of Philosophy and Letters, Margarita Freixas. In the company of members of the Drom Kotar Mestipen Assembly.
The conference was given by Silvia Molina, Professor of the Department of Pedagogy at the University of Rovira i Virgili who was the speaker on the topic: Special educational needs in the Roma community: barriers to inclusion and learning. Actions to overcome them. Topic previously chosen by the Roma women.
Roma Women Students Gathering, in the Second Chance School in Thessaloniki, Greece
On Friday, 27th of January, Alternative Innovative Development organized their second Roma Women Students Gathering, in the Second Chance School Ampelokipi Menemeni in Thessaloniki.
Around 60 Roma women attended from all parts of Greece, and representatives of the project partners and participants were able to attend the RWSG as well!
As always, this is an incredible step towards the transformation of the educational systems and the inclusion of grassroots Roma voices in the Second Chance Schools!
You can see the highlights video for more information and the report about the conclusions.
The 1st video relevant to Roma women talking is now online
AID has published the first video relevant to Roma women talking about Education in the framework of the RTransform project. This is one of many audio-visual materials that will be created to collect Roma women’s voices at the Roma Women Student Gatherings around Europe, which will include interventions and interviews with participants and experts.
On Saturday 28th May, the XXI Roma Women Student Gathering of Catalonia took place in the city of Amposta
The activity, which was attended by about 60 Roma women from different parts of Catalonia, had as its central theme Family Education.
Roma Women Student Gatherings are a pioneering activity organized by the Romani Association of Women Drom Kotar Mestipen, the first of which was held in 2000. Drom Kotar Mestipen is the first Roma women’s organization that existed in Catalonia.
If last October 2021 the 20th edition of the Gathering was held at the Rovira i Virgili University, in Tarragona, this Spring edition took place for the first time in the area of Terres de l’Ebre and Montsià, in the Catalan region of Tarragona. You can see more in the following video.
The main conference of the Gathering was delivered by Professor Carme García Yeste, Professor of the Department of Pedagogy at the University Rovira i Virgili, and director of the Consolidated Group recognized by the Catalan government, Methodology of Educational Research with Social Impact (MEDIS).
After the inaugural conference, the role model table was held, with the testimonies of Roma Women from different backgrounds. From vocational training students to undergraduate students, to women who are studying for their university access exams.
It should also be mentioned that during the Trobada, a childcare service was in operation. This space, run by members of the organization team and volunteers, was designed so that the little ones could enjoy themselves by doing different activities while their mothers took part in the Trobada.
The event was opened by Ms. Cesca Domènech i Ruera, Director General of Civic and Community Action of the Government of Catalonia; Mr. Adam Tomàs i Roiget, Mayor of Amposta; and Dr. Rosa Maria Kostic Cisneros, President of the Romani Association of Women Drom Kotar Mestipen.
DKM releases the video of the XX Roma Women Student Gathering of Catalonia
Drom Kotar Mestipen releases the video of the XX Roma Women Student Gathering of Catalonia, which took place last 23rd of October in the Catalan city of Tarragona. The activity, organized by the Romani Association of Women Drom Kotar Mestipen and hosted by the University Rovira and Virgili, gathered around 200 Roma women with the purpose of discussing education-related issues. The video shows some of the more important parts of the Gathering, such as the role model table, the main conference, or the working groups. DKM wants to thank all those who made this inspiring video possible.
Link to more information below:
1st Gathering of Greek Roma Women and an open dialogue on their Education
The online event entitled “Dialogue for Education: 1st Gathering of Greek Roma Women” was held through ZOOM, on November 20 between 16:00 and 20:00 from AID. The event was ended with smiles and success. A representative from the Municipality of Ampelokipi Menemeni, Mrs. Vatali Vasiliki has also joined the event. The aim of the event was the national gathering of Greek Roma Women in the framework of the Rtransform European Project. Roma women from all over Greece such as Thessaloniki, Serres, Corinth, Florina, Larissa, Crete, and other areas, connected and developed a concrete dialogue.
The women talked about their own history, they shared the obstacles and difficulties they faced in education, the reasons they left school early, as well as their desire to continue school. Some women also shared their motives who have found the courage and the strength to complete school education and continue into higher education by attending the university.
During the online event, Fenia Papakonstantinou explained the project, its goals, and activities, coordinated the event dialogue, and empowered Roma women to share their stories, while at the same time Rapti Ourania, a specialist in education for Roma women, referred to examples of women who continued their education.
At the second half of the event, the women were divided into groups and discussed in more detail the problems they faced in the school years, explaining the reasons why most of them left school early. Some of the reasons were the frequent mobility of their families across Greece due to seasonal jobs in different cities, the marriage obligation, starting a family from a very young age, the devotion to the family and the children’s upbringing. Moreover, the multiple obligations and symbolisms that frame the Roma Woman and her role within the Rome community. The women also discussed on taking measures that could help to overcome these difficulties and reverse obsolete habits and situations. The Gathering ended with all women emphasizing the importance of such actions and initiatives. They expressed their positive feelings towards the event as they had the opportunity to take part in the Gathering, to speak, share stories and thoughts, and have their voices heard. All the women are being committed and looking forward to the next Gathering which is expected to take place in February 2022.
XX ROMA WOMEN STUDENT GATHERING OF CATALONIA
Academic pathways, paths that lead to educational success
On 14 February 2002, the 1st Roma Women Student Gathering was held, organized by the Romani Association of Women Drom Kotar Mestipen, and since then this activity has been going on non-stop, even during the pandemic. On Saturday 23 October 2021, the 20th Roma Women Student Gathering of Catalonia was held at the Rovira I Virgili University in Tarragona.
Today, the event has much more importance and impact than we could have imagined when preparing the first Gathering when our objectives were to create a space for dialogue and to bring girls and women closer to positive role models. After 20 editions, we can say that it is the only event that mobilizes an average of 250 Roma women to talk about education on a Saturday afternoon and to put at the center of the debate the quality of the education that they and their children receive, to dismantle social and educational barriers, and to seek to overcome inequality due to the fact that they are Roma. We can also say that we have created a network of trust and support for girls and women who want to pursue educational success. As well as overcoming the misconceptions surrounding Roma women.
“Tell me what it takes to raise their level, but don’t take them out of class, because then they get to secondary school and they don’t have the level and that’s why they drop out.”
On Saturday we were able to talk about the possible itineraries in our current Educational System, its «traps» and its alternatives with Manuela Fernández, who is an example, for having overcome the barriers mentioned before, and also for her commitment to the Roma people, and especially to women.
At the role model table, Tatiana was able to explain to us how she is the first Roma girl to graduate from secondary school thanks to having studied at the Mediterrani Learning Community in Tarragona, encouraging other girls to overcome barriers by seeking support and help from people who work in organizations and other services.
Within the Working Groups, there was an intense debate to provide the elements to overcome educational inequality from which the Romani Association of Women will work during this year and which will be handed over to the different administrations so that they can take them into account.
On Saturday we were able to hear Roma girls and women who have studied or are studying Social Integration, Pedagogy, Medicine, Engineering, Nutrition, and Dietetics or the ESO Graduate course. All of them encouraged the other participants and were able to share how their families have been their main support, or a teacher, or an organization, but above all that being able to enjoy Successful Educational Activities and not just occurrences or entertainments is what has helped them to overcome the historical educational inequality they suffer.
Paulo Freire told us that education needs technical, scientific, and professional training as well as dreams and utopia. The volunteers and those of us who are part of the Romani Association of Women Drom Kotar Mestipen were able to feel again the rigour, strength, dreams, and illusion in Tarragona. And as Manuela Fernández said: how beautiful that it remains as beautiful as the first day without losing its validity and meaning.
This is the English translation of the article written by Montserrat Sánchez Aroca for the virtual journal “Diario Feminista”. To read the original in Spanish, please click on this link.