Support to Equal Participation of Roma Women in National Council of Roma National Minority
Regarding the elections for National Councils of National Minorities, Women Space organized a two-day seminar entitled Support to equal participation of Roma women in National Council of Roma National Minority, intended for Roma women candidates for electoral lists, on October 22 and 23rd 2014, in the Palace Hotel in Belgrade.
The goal of this event was empowerment of women from the electoral lists, gaining of self-confidence, improving public performing skills, candidates public promotion, as well as facilitating networking of the future members of the National Council with the activists of Roma Women Network.

Discussed topics included gender equality and the problems Roma women face in political participation and the Platform about gender equality respect, initiated by the Roma Women Network, and signed by list leaders in Belgrade on 2 October was presented.
Candidates from 6 electoral lists attended the seminary: the Alliance for Change, the Association of Roma in Serbia – Vladan Stanojević, the Roma People for Serbia – Serbia for the Roma People, the Roma People Citizens of Serbia – Srđan Šain, Anglunipe – Prosperity – Dragoljub Acković, the Roma People for the better future.

The agenda of the seminar was conceptualized by the trainers of Women Can Do It and Roma Women Can Do It program, who have long-term experience in working with women from political parties, the media, trade unions, non-governmental organizations and minority communities. Special attention was brought to the following topics: position of women in Roma community, legal framework for improving the position of women and minorities, politics – women’s way, recognition and resistance to male techniques of domination, as well as the skill of public performing.
This event also presented broader public with an opportunity to get acquainted with the problems of women in political and public life, with the emphasis on women from the marginalized social groups, especially Roma women, and also gave opportunity to the participants to present their candidacy to the media reporting on this event.
The candidates on electoral lists, the representatives of Women Space and Roma Women Network defined their future cooperation through: giving public support to women in NCRNM, work on achieving common interest and goals, conceptualizing and carrying out common activities, reaching mutual agreements, socializing, founding Women’s Club in NCRNM, controlling the work of National Council of Roman National Minority etc.
Photographs from the seminar are available on our Facebook page.