The Council of Europe has awarded three grants to Roma/Traveller organisations to increase the capacity of Roma and Traveller women to engage with Council of Europe standards and mechanisms. These initiatives aim to ensure that women from these communities can play an active role in monitoring, advocacy, and accountability processes.
Roma Women in Action – Feminist Collective of Romani Gender Experts
Through this action, 48 Roma, Sinti, and Traveller women activists from five countries – Bosnia and Herzegovina, Hungary, Romania, Spain, United Kingdom– were trained to use Council of Europe standards and mechanisms such as the Convention on preventing and combating violence against women and domestic violence (Istanbul Convention) and its Group of Experts monitoring its implementation (GREVIO); the European Commission against Racism and Intolerance (ECRI); the Recommendation CM/Rec(2024)1 of the Committee of Ministers to member States on equality of Roma and Traveller women and girls.
Partner organisations, including AMUGE (Spain), Care for Young People’s Future (UK), E-Romnja (Romania), KALI SARA (Bosnia and Herzegovina), and Romaversitas (Hungary), provided local outreach and support.
“I knocked on every door when I tried to report domestic abuse, but no one offered support. The police took the perpetrator for one night and returned him home by morning. This went on for 20 years. The system failed us completely.” (Participant from Bosnia and Herzegovina).
“These reports minimie our lived experience. They don’t capture police discrimination, child removals, health abuse, or daily racism.” (Participant from United Kingdom).
The project culminated in the publication of Intersectional Violence and Systemic Failure, a report that documents gender-based and intersectional discrimination and calls for systemic change across Europe.
VOICES FOR CHANGE: Empowering Romani women to monitor women’s rights through Council of Europe mechanisms – European Roma Rights Centre
This action focused on equipping Roma women and grassroots organisations with practical knowledge of Council of Europe standards and procedures. 20 Roma women activists participated in tailored training sessions on mechanisms such as the Group of Experts on Action against Trafficking in Human Beings (GRETA), GREVIO, and ECRI. The project also fostered networking and co-operation between Roma women and Council of Europe bodies, laying the foundation for sustained engagement and advocacy.
Increasing and promoting knowledge and awareness on Roma and Traveller women rights – Lupovino Association
In France, 14 Roma and Traveller women took part in a consultation meeting organised by Lupovino Association. The meeting strengthened awareness of women’s rights and promoted dialogue on strategies to combat discrimination and violence.
These initiatives reflect the Council of Europe’s commitment to advancing gender equality and combating intersectional discrimination within Roma and Traveller communities. Such actions have laid the ground for future work in this area. As some of the participants to these initiatives highlighted, national-level advocacy components must be strengthened. Future work on this topic will pursue making the links between how local documentation can be transformed into national and Council of Europe-level action.
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