On December 11, 2017, a roundtable discussion was held on the topic: “UN Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women” (CEDAW) as a tool for protecting Romani women from all forms of discrimination. The issue of women’s discrimination in Ukraine is extremely relevant yet underestimated by society. Simultaneously, discrimination against Romani women is doubly underestimated. They face multiple layers of discrimination, both as Roma and as women.
During the discussions, facts and data presented to the Committee on the Elimination of Discrimination against Women during the review of Ukraine’s 8th periodic report were examined, along with new evidence of discrimination against Romani women collected by Romani mediators and experts. We have a unique opportunity to utilize the recommendations of the Committee to address this issue: 1) to assess instances of discrimination not only politically but also administratively, correct them, change the situation, and impose penalties on those engaging in or tolerating discrimination; 2) to propose changes to the Action Plan for the Implementation of the Roma Strategy in order to enrich it with effective and impactful measures; 3) to unite the efforts of parliamentarians, government officials, and the public to propose robust instruments for overcoming discrimination against Romani women.
Most importantly, what we need is a radical shift in the state’s attitude towards individuals of Romani ethnicity, particularly towards women. They should not be seen as strangers, enemies, or idlers. Roma should be treated as full-fledged citizens who, due to a complex set of circumstances, have found themselves in challenging situations. The task of the state is to provide these people with hope and faith in the future.
