I am a member of the Roma womens’ group Manushe, which is a section of the non-profit organisation Word 21. In 2010-2014 I was actively engaged in one of the Manushe group projects called “Mum, Dad, I want to go to school”, which, with the help of the Theatre of the Supressed method, was aimed at convincing Roma parents of the advantages of primary schools and, on the contrary, the drawbacks of practical schools (schools for pupils with special needs). At present I work as the manager of Jileha/With all the Heart, which was initiated by long-standing members of the Manushe group. We implement this organization under the Word 21 organisation. I am in charge of leading the coordinators of local Women’s groups in twelve cities, providing them with gender issues in a relevant form, and responding to current needs of women in the given localities. I believe that Roma women can be agents of change in Roma communities, which requires empowering Roma women both in their communities and in public space.
