Roma women’s power - Fostering the Inclusive Participation and Economic Empowerment of Roma women in Ukraine, Moldova and Belarus

The goal of the project is to promote better opportunities for Roma women and girls to influence political decision-making and participate in economic activity on a regional level in Ukraine, Moldova and Belarus.
The principal outcomes of the project are

1) Expanded space for Roma Women CSOs
2) Increased participation of Roma women and their CSOs on local Roma inclusion
3) Increased economic empowerment of Roma women and girls.

The central activities include establishing a Regional Network of Roma Women in Ukraine, Moldova and Belarus, training of Roma women and girls for political participation through of the Roma Women’s Regional Operative Program and increasing Roma women’s and girls’ employability through the Program.
The entire project is based on the acknowledgement that Roma women and girls face multiple and intersectional discrimination as a result of their gender, poverty status, and belonging to an extremely vulnerable community. As such, the project aims both to reduce inequality and to promote gender equality.

The project will be carried out by the Deaconess Foundation, the main organization working with Roma migrants in Finland, and the three Roma women organisations from Ukraine, Moldova and Belarus. The principal beneficiaries are app 1200 vulnerable Roma women and girls (over 16 years) in three countries. Other beneficiaries are 9 Roma CSOs, public administration in 30 municipalities, and 90 companies with potential jobs for Roma women and girls, in the three countries.

The Project is supported by the Ministry for Foreign Affairs of Finland for the period 2019-2022.

The Roma Women’s Project is funded by the Ministry for Foreign Affairs of Finland 2019–2022. The Deaconess Foundation carries out work to improve the human rights of Roma communities both in Finland and in different Eastern European countries and in the Western Balkans.