We have developed this project to effectively and directly promote the inclusion of young roma women by tearing down these barriers that bind them, improving their self-confidence, and turning them into youth leaders capable of making a difference, through the creation of SCHOOLS OF LEADERSHIP AND ROMANI FEMINISM IN EUROPE, with on-site and virtual methodologies, which form the backbone of a NETWORK OF ROMA TRAINERS capable of meeting the needs of any young roma woman in Europe. We also sought to improve the quality of the work and practices of the associations and entities that defend their rights by transforming both the partner entities and the young roma women themselves, and generating a transnational network of entities and beneficiaries that would allow the scope of these initiatives to be extended to new agents and sectors. We wanted to ensure that these actions had a significant social impact across Europe, to raise awareness of these realities so that we can move towards policy measures that stop turning a deaf ear to this situation of blatant precariousness.
All roma women face an alarming social exclusion, aggravated since COVID-19 pandemic and subsequent crises. Especially young women (under 30 years old) are the most segregated, because they are subject to a multiple discrimination (for being women, young, roma, and poor) that limits their access to education, decent employment, and the development of their personal autonomy. This situation is especially severe in rural contexts and in countries with extremist policies, where the lack of support networks further aggravates their invisibility and exclusion. To change this, it is necessary to start a political and social change that must be led directly the young roma women themselves, for which it is essential to enhance their empowerment and leadership through a network of SCHOOLS OF ROMA LEADERSHIP AND FEMINISM at the European level. We aligned the project with the objectives of the 2030 Agenda and the European Inclusion Strategies to be more effective in transforming their reality, promoting equality, social inclusion, and female leadership of one of the most vulnerable groups in Europe.