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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.
XXII Roma Women Students Gathering, in the University of Girona
On Saturday, 8th of October, project coordinator Drom Kotar Mestipen organized their XXII Roma Women Students Gathering, in the University of Girona.
Around 230 Roma women attended from all parts of Catalonia, 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 University!
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.
Second Roma Women Gathering in Hungary
Took Place in July 15-16 2022
Central European University Budapest (CEU) – Hungary
The meeting was held in Budapest at CEU, the Central European University where 26 women participated.
The Central European University is one of the best universities in Hungary and offers great opportunities for students.
Most Roma girls don’t even know about this opportunity and don’t have the skills and education needed to enter. We managed to invite some friends who told the girls all the necessary information about this university. The girls had the chance to visit the building and meet some of the students studying there. Accommodation was also arranged for them in the dormitory of this university.
We tried to invite and address women with few opportunity to express their views on public issues. They chose a very important topic and it was very important that they were heard and that their message was passed . Our topic was the impact of the war in Ukraine and its consequences on our daily lives and access to services.
We celebrated the meeting by listening to each other, exchanging information, making suggestions and an evening of informal discussion and a dinner at a very nice place in Budapest where everyone could eat whatever they wanted.
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:
RTransform National Gathering in Hungary
On 4 December 2021, the 1st Hungarian Roma Women’s Gathering took place in Pécsvárad, aiming to give women a safe space to talk about the burdens they face in their everyday lives.
20 women and their children participated in the meeting. With their active engagement, we were able to close a dynamic and fruitful meeting.
Important issues were discussed , solutions sought and recommendations made for :
– The impact of online learning,
– Conscious family planning, educational opportunities for children removed from families
– Housing subsidy critical systems .
These topics play an active role in their daily lives and are closely interlinked, so we provide a platform for experts on these topics to talk and try to find some solution to communicate to policy makers.
Roma Women’s Gathering takes place in Sheffield, UK Nov 27th, 2021
Roma Women transforming the educational systems around Europe through their social and political Mobilization This Gathering was held Saturday, Nov 27th, 2021 (Sheffield Hallam University). The EU-funded RTransform project is about transferring the DKM’s Gatherings to 5 different countries. The UK is part of this network and the Sheffield-based organization Care for Young People’s Future is a key player tasked with organizing three Gatherings in the UK. Saturday, Nov 27th from 10.30-5.00 the first UK Roma Women’s Gathering took place. The event welcomed many role models from the community and also local grassroots Roma women and girls to talk about the importance of education, identity and culture.
The films are located on the CYFP YouTube Channel. You can watch the short trailer and the longer film online. Various talks will also be featured online later this year. Watch this space for more exciting items from our UK partners.
You can watch Film trailer (short version) and Long version here.