Roma Women’s Engagement at the Commission on the Status of Women: A two Decade Gap?

Date 24 March 2025 Author Torotcoi Simona Category Youth

Available information shows that in 2005 Roma Women’s Initiative and European Roma Rights Center, have had a joint statement for the 49th Session of the UN CSW, on 28th February – 11th March 2005. In 2025, the CSW was attended by about 10 Roma women representatives. What happened in between?

The 69th session of the Commission on the Status of Women (CSW69) and the Beijing Platform for Action (BPfA) are pivotal in addressing the unique challenges faced by Roma women. Roma women experience multiple forms of discrimination based on gender, ethnicity, and work or descent, which are exacerbated by systemic barriers and social exclusion. The Beijing Platform for Action emphasizes the need to eliminate all forms of discrimination against women and girls, ensuring their full and equal participation in political, civil, economic, social, and cultural life. 

Despite advancement in gender equality frameworks, and despite the significant global progress made in the last three decades, it’s crucial to address the fact that Roma women have often been left out of national and regional strategies aimed at advancing gender equality and women’s empowerment. Roma women continue to face unique and compounded forms of discrimination, both as women and as members of communities discriminated against on work and descent.

Roma women are often underrepresented in policymaking and planning processes. Despite the commitments made in the Beijing Declaration and Platform for Action, Roma women have not seen the same level of attention or tailored interventions in many countries. National action plans and strategies that address women’s rights often overlook the specific challenges faced by Roma women, leaving them without a voice in shaping the policies that affect their lives.

Discrimination against Roma women remains pervasive across multiple areas, including education, healthcare, employment, and housing. They face entrenched stereotypes and prejudices that hinder their ability to access basic services, gain equal opportunities, or even secure legal protections. Roma women often encounter multiple layers of discrimination due to their gender and ethnic identity.

Roma women are at heightened risk of gender-based violence, including domestic violence, and trafficking. Societal stigma and lack of proper legal protections or support systems make it more difficult for Roma women to seek justice and protection.

Roma girls and women often face educational barriers that limit their opportunities for social mobility. Discrimination in the education system and a lack of appropriate support structures have contributed to lower literacy rates and fewer employment opportunities, perpetuating cycles of poverty and exclusion.

Source: https://globalforumcdwd.org/cdwd-women-and-the-beijing30-review-persistent-gaps-in-national-reports/

In the context of Beijing+30 and the CSW69, addressing the inclusion of Roma women in national and regional gender equality frameworks should be a priority. However, an analysis of 35 European countries shows that about 38% of the reviewed countries do not mention Roma women at all in their Beijing+30 national reports. On the other side, countries from Central Eastern Europe, with a significant percentage of Roma population, have made efforts to include Roma women in their national reports, highlighting specific challenges and initiatives aimed at improving their situation. However, there is a lack of mention in some countries, indicating a need for increased focus on this marginalized group. The depth and context of these mentions vary, with some countries providing more detailed and targeted measures than others.

The reports from various countries highlight the challenges and efforts concerning Roma women in different contexts. In Albania, Roma women are mentioned several times, focusing on their struggles in agriculture and healthcare access, with an emphasis on intersectional challenges like the impacts of climate change. Bosnia and Herzegovina also address Roma women, particularly focusing on their economic empowerment and access to healthcare. Croatia presents detailed initiatives for Roma women, such as programs to improve their social status, education, and empowerment, including media representation. In Czechia, specific initiatives like compensation for forced sterilization are highlighted, along with broader support for Roma women as part of policies for marginalized groups. However, countries such as Austria or Türkiye do not mention Roma women in their reports at all. These varying mentions underscore the differing levels of attention and action regarding Roma women’s rights and challenges across Europe.

What has happened in the last CSW69, and how the Roma civil society has engaged in the CSW so far?

In 2025, the CSW was attended by various Roma women representatives. In this context, under the leadership of Anzhelika Bielova, the Voice of Romni organized “Roma Women’s Leaders International Dialogue”. The event aimed to bring together Roma women leaders from various countries, including Ukraine, Moldova, Romania, Germany, the United States, and the United Kingdom.

First, the event sought to explore opportunities for cooperation and networking among Roma women from different countries. Second, participants discussed the various needs and challenges Roma women face in different contexts, along with strategies for addressing these issues. Additionally, the event provided a platform for exchanging experiences related to projects aimed at strengthening the economic empowerment of Roma women and developing leadership within Roma communities. Lastly, there was a focus on discussing a joint strategy to respond to the global crisis, particularly the pushback against gender equality efforts and the reduction of funding for women’s organizations.

A key outcome of the event was the drafting of a joint statement directed at the international community, pushing back against the setbacks in achieving gender equality and advocating for continued funding for women’s civil society organizations (CSOs). The Roma women present were:

• Bielova Anzhelika – “Association of Roma Women “Voice of Romni” – President, founder
• Zaiets Liliia – “Association of Roma Women “Voice of Romni” – CEO
• Kovalchuk Olha – “Association of Roma Women “Voice of Romni” – Regional coordinator in Kryvyi Rih
• Prokopenko Zinaida – “Winds of Changes” – Awareness raising specialist in a mobile Roma team
• Gordana Herold – Part of the German government delegation at the 69th CSW, founder of Romane Romnja e.V. and Member of UN Women Deutschland/ Germany.
• Nataliia Tomenko, deputy director at the “ARCA” Agency for the Advocacy of Roma Culture in Ukraine
• Terezia Rostas, Human rights advocate and founder of Welcoming Cultures/Care for Young People ‘s Future, Member of Roma Feminist Gender Collective
• Elena Sirbu – Head of Roma Women Platform ROMNI from Moldova, member of the Spotlight Initiative Global Reference Group
• Torotcoi Simona, Roma Rights Coordinator for Europe, ERGO Network/Global Forum of Communities Discriminated on Work and Descent

A Brief History

Roma Women’s Initiative and European Roma Rights Center, “Statement for the 49th Session of the UN CSW, 28th February – 11th March 2005”

Between 2005 and 2023, there is no info what has happened, we count on your inputs!!!

In 2023 Marina Csikós, (Hungary) a Roma feminist and dedicated advocate for gender equality and racial justice, was selected by the NGO CSW’s Youth Leaders & Young Professionals (YLYPs) and Women Have Wings, as a Global Youth Fellow for Gender Equality. She has a strong commitment to promoting the inclusion and empowerment of marginalized communities, particularly women of color. Born and raised in Hungary as a Roma woman, she embodies a passion for social justice that has led her to impactful professional roles. Marina gained her master’s education at the Central European University in Critical Gender Studies, where she focused her research on intersectional justice and feminist knowledge production. Throughout her career, she has engaged with various types of stakeholders, from intergovernmental organizations and civil society organizations to art institutions, which enabled her to build bridges between communities and ideas. Some of the policy stakeholders she has engaged with included the European Commission, Council of Europe and OSCE Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights. 

Roma women activists Simona Torotcoi (Romania) and Dafina Savic (Canada, founder of Canadian organisation Romanipe) took part in the sixty-seventh session of the Commission on the Status of Women which took place from the 5 to 17 of March 2023. The session considered the priority theme of “Innovation and technological change, and education in the digital age for achieving gender equality and the empowerment of all women and girls“. As part of the Global Forum of Communities Discriminated on Work and Descent (GFOD), ERGO Network contributed to the organization of a parallel event titled “Addressing Barriers in Accessing Technology & Transforming Women’s Lives from Communities Discriminated by Work & Descent.”

In 2024, in the context of the sixty-eighth session of the Commission on the Status of Women, the Permanent Mission of Nepal to the UN in New York alongside UN Woman, United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA), the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) and the Global Forum of Communities discriminated on Work and Descent (GFoD) organized an official side event titled “Addressing the root causes of poverty among women and girls from descent communities and the impact of UN Programming and NGOs to eradicate stigma – Global Forum of Communities Discriminated on Work and Descent” where Simona Torotcoi spoke on behalf of ERGO Network.

In 2024, the Global Forum of Communities Discriminated on Work and Descent (GFoD), along with partner entities:  European Roma Grassroots Organisations Network (ERGO), Feminist Collective of Romani Gender Experts, and Romalitico – Institute for Research and Policy Analysis organised a virtual side event focusing on addressing the intersectionality of discrimination, marginalization and poverty faced by women from Communities Discriminated on Work and Descent (CDWD). Speakers included: Marija Sulejmanova, Romalitico – Institute for Research and Policy Analysis, Claudia González, Feminist Collective of Romani Gender Expert and Isabela Mihalache, Senior Advocacy Officer at ERGO Network.

During the the Beijing+30 Regional Review Meeting, 21-22 October 2024, ERGO and partners, including governmental representatives from Finland and North Macedonia, organized a side event, “Addressing Work and Descent-Based Discrimination Against Women: A Prerequisite to Accelerate the Implementation of the Beijing Declaration” which explored the intersectional discrimination faced by women from marginalized communities, such as Roma and Dalit women.

In 2025, Gordana Herold, founder of Romane Romnja e.V. and Member of UN Women Deutschland/ Germany was the first Romnja part of an official delegation at the CSW. Gordana was part of the German government delegation at the 69th CSW. Maria Atanasova – GFoD Roma Rights Expert from Bulgaria delivered a statement in an official meeting, during the CSW69, at the “High Level Interactive Dialogue on participation, accountability and gender responsive institutions”. Simona Torotcoi from GFoD, also spoke at the “High-Level Interactive Dialogue on Accelerating Implementation of the Beijing Platform for Action: The Role of the Commission on the Status of Women”. 

At CSW69 two NGO CSW events, and one virtual event,  was organized by GFoD bringing together 3 Roma women: Nataliia Tomenko, deputy director at the “ARCA” Agency for the Advocacy of Roma Culture in Ukraine; Terezia Rostas, Human rights advocate and founder of Welcoming Cultures/Care for Young People ‘s Future, Member of Roma Feminist Gender Collective; Elena Sirbu – Head of Roma Women Platform ROMNI from Moldova, member of the Spotlight Initiative Global Reference Group, and Sara Olvera Lopes from Spain. In addition, a draft policy brief – of UN Women and GFoD – on women discriminated on work and descent, including Roma women, was opened to a civil society and expert consultation, under an official side event titled “Centering Women and Girls in the Global Movement of Communities Discriminated on Work and Descent: A Policy Imperative” 

How will Roma women organize for CSW 2026?

Adopted CSW Priority Themes for the next four years.

1. Seventieth session (2026): Ensuring and strengthening access to justice for all women and girls, including by promoting inclusive and equitable legal systems, eliminating discriminatory laws, policies and practices, and addressing structural barriers.

2. Seventy-first session (2027): Accelerating the achievement of gender equality and the empowerment of all women and girls in the context of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development.

3. Seventy-second session (2028): Recognizing and strengthening care and support systems to achieve gender equality and the empowerment of all women and girls.

4. Seventy-third session (2029): Women and girls in humanitarian emergencies: advancing women’s participation and leadership, and achieving gender equality and the empowerment of all women and girls in this context.