“I’m a Roma Woman” Campaign

In the midst of the recent upsurge in violence in Europe against the Roma people, where unprecedented numbers of organised right wing extremists, terrorists, hooligans and, in some cases, even resentful citizens have participated.

The “I’m a Roma Woman Campaign” is fighting back against hate and marginalizations that all Roma suffer with stories. Roma women in Europe face triple bias; marginalized and discriminated because they are women in their communities and because they are Roma and women outside their communities.

The campaign began in 2008 and is a product of collaboration and partnerships between Roma and Non-Roma NGO’s and activists, the video below was released in March 2011 and features the five activist who originally began the initiative

Working with the Roma Media Archive, which is an ongoing participatory media project to which the Roma and non-Roma artists, activist organizations and communities are invited to contribute with various documentary and art materials that reflect the contemporary Roma situation. 

The campaign was developed to challenge centuries-old stereotypes about who the Roma are and allow them to take ownership of their image often misunderstood by mainstream media.

It also wanted to tell the REAL Roma story and create the conditions for effective advocacy of issues related to Roma women and to caste a vision of the future for Roma youth which stresses the opportunities offered by social activism to increase self-empowerment and community empowerment.

Does it succeed?