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A Monthly Periodical of The Roma Inclusion Office The Roma Decade in AP Vojvodina Photo: M. Karadžić no. 18, July 2012. ACHIEVING EQUALITY THROUGH EDUCatION Interview: Izabela Šerić Interview: dr Slobodan Puzović The Roma Decade in AP Vojvodina 1 INTRODUCTION Dear readers, Happy anniversary of our monthly magazine! We The Founder and the Published of the Periodical: wish it to be more interesting, more read and purpose- The Roma Inclusion Office of the ful! Government of AP Vojvodina We would like to point out one exceptionally impor- tant fact about our monthly magazine: for several months The Editor: we have been the only magazine on the territory of the Duško Jovanović, dipl. ing. of agriculture entire Republic of Serbia which deals with the problems of Roma only – we inform our readers of the problems of The editor of theme of the number: Roma, their culture and history in Roma, Serbian and En- Duško Jovanović, dipl. ing. of agriculture glish and we are trying to show and prove that the Roma are as equally valuable as any other nation and thus dese- The Team: rve the same opportunity to be educated, employed and Dragana Rajić given health care. However… Snežana Dimić, dipl. pedagogist When we say – the only magazine… Zita Farkaš, pharmachologist We cannot say that we are proud of it… We have a great responsibility for being the only Correspondents: one. Our greatest wish is to help individuals, organiza- Roma Coordinators of APV tions and institutions to solve certain Roma issues in their prof. dr Vladimir Gecelovsky environment, according to the model we offer them, but Ivana Koprivica, dipl. psychologist also we wish to contribute to the elimination of preju- dices which non-Roma have against Roma population. Translation in Roma language: We wish to motivate Roma, with the positive example Igor Dimić, preschool teacher of their countrymen, to try hard, make progress and start thinking – If he/she can do it, so can I. Translation in English language: The criticisms we received so far have been only oral Mirjana Serdar, BA in English Philology and mainly positive. We want to believe that that was not done only out of politeness. We believe that in the last year, in the period of our Technical Preparation and Printing: existence, we got to know each other and that we can MAXIMA GRAF, Petrovaradin already ask each other everything. Also, we are ready to [email protected] hear you, the reason of our existence, and to adjust to www.maximagraf.rs your taste and to consider your opinion. We wish to communicate with you, which is why Circulation: we are introducing an innovation: all your comments for 1000 our monthly magazine, positive and negative criticism, recommendations related to the topics you would (not) Address: Bulevar Mihajla Pupina 25, like to see in our and your magazine, all of which you can 21000 Novi Sad send on our e-mail address: redakcija.sugestije@gmail. com and contribute to the quality of our magazine “De- cade of Roma in AP Vojvodina”. We want to hear your opinion and to justify your trust... The Team 2 The Roma Decade in AP Vojvodina This month’s topic: Achieving Equality through Education FROM DOUBLE DISCRIMINatION TO NO DISCRIMINatION Serbia belongs to countries in which it is hard for women to fulfill their rights. The conclusion we can reach from observing the position of women in Serbia is that it is still unfavorable. It is often said that women in our society are discriminated against and that the male population does not allow them to have an equal position. Even though there is a Law pation and integration of Roma ximately 30 firms, run by Roma on Gender Equality, as well as in the 70s, it was clearly defined women, were founded on public numerous strategic documents that the improvement of the po- competitions for self-employment which strive to make the posi- sition of Roma women was of of the Roma Inclusion Office and tions of men and women equal in great significance. In the last 15 Provincial Secretariat for Eco- all spheres of public, social and years most work has been done in nomy, Employment and Gender political life, in practice it is all Vojvodina, especially in the are- Equality. still declarative. However, the as of education, employment and - in the area of integration of fact that nowadays discrimination integration of Roma women into Roma women into institutions, against women is openly and pu- institutions. the Office conducts an action of blicly discussed in our society, as hiring coordinators for Roma well as violence against them, is The results are measurable issues in municipalities, health a good start. and unique, not just in Europe, institutions, as well as in the pro- but in the entire world, which is vincial and republican Govern- The position of Roma women confirmed by the following facts: ment, where women have priority in such a society is much more - until 1992, there were only over men. difficult, because they are doubly four students of Roma nationali- discriminated against – firstly, be- ty at the University of Novi Sad, All this is just a drop in the cause they are women and secon- of whom only one was female ocean. The fact is that the society dly, because they are Roma. It is Roma, and nowadays there are must work more energetically on a fact that the position of women more than 300 students (more the improvement of the position in the Roma community is prede- than half of them being female of Roma women. However, only termined by culture, tradition and Roma) studying at this University small and safe steps lead to big customs of that nation, and that is and colleges in Vojvodina. success. has not changed significantly. By - as for the area of employ- J. D. starting the initiative for emanci- ment, in the last five years appro- Danijela Korac-Mandic, Novi Sad Humanitarian Center SUPPORT FOR THE EDUCATION OF ROMA GIRLS Project of the support for the education of Roma girls has successfully entered the fifth year of its re- alization. It represents one of rare initiatives which deal with such a specific topic – the education of Roma girls. The coordinator of this program, Danijela Korac-Mandic, discussed for our magazine the beginnings, activities, results and plans for this project. *How did you come up with tarian Center was the promotion phasized in the Roma communi- the idea of the project of sup- of the education of Roma, as a ty, girls are supposed to marry port for the education of Roma major way of reducing poverty young, fulfill their duties in re- girls? of this sensitive population. De- lation to giving birth and raising -The idea was created more aling with this topic, we noticed, children, taking care of the ho- than four years ago on the ini- among many other problems, usehold and others. Significant tiative of CARE organization in that Roma girls do not have equ- number of girls who enroll on Serbia. One of the priorities of al chances for education. Due elementary school must leave the work of Novi Sad Humani- to gender division which is em- school in fifth or sixth grade, The Roma Decade in AP Vojvodina 3 This month’s topic: Achieving Equality through Education -Our associates in the Roma communities of Novi Sad and Becej have meetings with parents with children of pre-school and school age, in order to give them support for the education of the- ir children, and especially girls. Through various workshops and meetings we try to help them to become support and help for their children and not an obstac- le in their education. We orga- nize and encourage cooperation Photo: M. Karadžić between school staff and Roma Promotion of the enrollment on high schools in Veliki Rit parents, so that they could get to know each other and become in order to “keep” themselves work within a project “Initiati- partners in the process of educa- for the wedding, which usually ve for the Education of Roma tion. At the same time, we try to immediately follows school-le- Girls”, which is supported by make parents who educate their aving. In addition, in most cases Telethon Fund from Norway and children become good examples Roma girls do not have rights Austrian Development Agency. and role models for other parents to decide upon their education, The project is realized in Novi and the whole community and but must respect the final deci- Sad and Becej by CARE Ser- to mutually support each other. sion of their parents or usually bia and Novi Sad Humanitarian We are aware that education is a fathers. Estimates show that no Center. Project’s activities will long and expensive process, but less than 80% of Roma women last until April, 2013 and we only new, educated generations in Serbia are illiterate, having fi- are going to try to find support of Roma have the opportunity nished four grades of elementary to continue the main activities to live better than their parents. school at most and without any after that. It is an investment that always qualifications. This state signifi- pays off and we are trying to cantly contributes to the general *Who are NSHC partners in help Roma parents understand poverty of the Roma population, this project? that and not deny that chance to which is then transferred further -The project is realized in their children. on to new generations. Due to cooperation with School Admi- On the other hand, we for- the above mentioned reasons, nistration Novi Sad, Provincial med a Group for Lobbying and we thought that it was important Secretariat for Education, Admi- Advocacy, which consists of to focus on encouraging girls to nistration and National Commu- members of the project team, continue their education and in- nities, Provincial Secretariat for Roma, representatives of pro- fluencing their environment to Labor, Employment and Gen- vincial authority and individuals enable them to do so.

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