Strengthening the competences and ambitions of Roma girls and women

The project focuses on Roma women and girls because of the multiple discrimination they face in the process of self-realization in the broadest sense of the word.

The Kezmarok district has the highest unemployment rate in the Presov region and 54% of all unemployed applicants are people with elementary or incomplete elementary education. The vast majority of these unemployed people belong to the marginalized Roma community (MRK). From the MRK, approximately only 15% of young people complete secondary education with an apprenticeship certificate or a school-leaving certificate.

Specific factors for Roma girls and women are early romantic partnership, motherhood and subsequent care for the family, which significantly narrow their opportunities for self-realization.

The barriers to social inclusion are also low levels of communication and social skills, low levels of independence, personal responsibility, civic and human rights awareness.

Last but not least, there are also unwritten rules of life in generational poverty of excluded Roma communities, low levels of planning, application of financial literacy in everyday life and the intense influence of proximate and extended family on individual decision-making.

One branch of the project will focus on supporting the successful completion of secondary education of Roma female students and at the same time the comprehensive development of their personality aimed at fulfilling ambitious plans for the future.

The second branch of the project will focus on the development of personal maturity and expanding the areas of self-realization of Roma women of productive age, for example by completing their education, gaining employment in the labor market, increasing self-confidence and functioning more effectively in everyday life.

The main activities of the project are 2 categories of training courses:
1. Aimed at Roma secondary school students: course - "My path - Miro drom"
2. Aimed at Roma women of productive age: course - "My strength - Miri zor"

The project will be implemented by:

1. Identification and addressing of persons from the target group

The activity will be implemented mainly by peer workers directly in the communities in cooperation with professional workers. Participation in the project will be based on a voluntary basis and internal motivation of potential participants.

2. Initial information meetings

Based on the identified interest, project will organize initial information meetings aimed at introducing the training courses and motivating participation and agreement to complete individual courses.

3. Implementation of training courses for Roma secondary school students and Roma women

4. Implementation of two information workshops

Workshops will be designed for cooperating institutions and employers, aimed at disseminating information and proposed solutions obtained through the implementation of courses with the participation of course graduates.

The main objective of the project is to develop the competencies and support the ambitions of Roma women and girls, which will help them to overcome conditions of multiple discrimination and expand the possibilities of self-realization.

Project objectives are:

1. By June 30, 2027 the project will implement 2 training courses "My path - Miro drom" for at least 15 students.
2. By June 30, 2027 the project will implement 2 training courses "My strength - Miri zor" for at least 15 women.
3. By December 15, 2027 the project will implement 2 training courses "My path - Miro drom" for at least 15 students.
4. By December 15, 2027 we will implement 2 training courses "My strength - Miri zor" for at least 15 women.
5. By December 31, 2027 we will implement 2 information workshops.

The project's impact will be relevant both during its implementation and beyond.

By completing the training courses, female Roma participants will achieve long-lasting improvements in their personal competencies, personal development, and maturity, which they will continue to apply even after the project concludes.

Furthermore, the project will help further develop cooperation with local governments and other relevant institutions in the region, thereby contributing to the inclusion and empowerment of Roma communities.

The impact of the project will primarily manifest at the local and regional levels. Insights and information gathered from the target group during the implementation of the courses will be processed into concrete proposals. At the same time, proposals will be presented in a credible and comprehensible manner, with the active participation of the target group, to relevant stakeholders at the regional, local, and national levels.