The Roma are the largest ethnic minority in Europe. Their number is estimated up to 12 million. In Serbia, the lives of most Roma people are miserable, set in inhumane conditions. They are often discriminated against by their fellow citizens. Most of them live in poor conditions where they don’t have water, electricity, or other necessities for normal functioning. We see the same trend in Belgium. Roma people are becoming more and more disadvantaged in our society. The current pandemic is certainly not helping to improve their situation.
Photo: Jovana Makitan - One of many Roma settlements in Serbia.
According to the Strategy of Social Inclusion of Roma Men and Women of the Government of Serbia, about 70% of Roma people live in 593 Roma settlements. Belgium counts over 30.000 Roma people, spread over the larger cities. The COVID-19 pandemic has made life difficult for many Roma people. Most of them don’t have drinking water and other provisions that are needed to maintain personal hygiene. A big problem can arise if someone from a settlement becomes infected. Those who didn’t have electricity had a big issue with the schooling of their children. Most of the lessons took place online so it was impossible for them to participate.
Abandoning poverty
As education is one of the ways out of poverty, several Serbian authorities still try to make it possible for everyone to go to school. In some Serbian cities, Roma have received free books and it’s often the case that they receive free snacks. Even when they have the facilities to get an education, it still happens that they leave school. The reason is rejection and personal insecurity. “I went to school until the sixth grade and I left it because I didn't have good grades. Also, the school requires a lot of money we didn’t have. I left school in agreement with my parents and started working with my father and brothers”, says a boy who lives in a Roma settlement who wished to remain anonymous.
Another way to earn extra money is by selling drugs. This is mostly the case in Belgium, certainly in Ghent. “Here, authorities mainly deal with drug figures with a Roma background. Those drug figures require a different, more specific approach. At the moment, we are running a project in which we work with 'neighborhood stewards'. They work integrally, with different age groups and they reach out to them. This means that they also visit people at their homes and get to work with their requests for help”, says Maaike Buyst, Deputy at the Department of Welfare and Equal Opportunities.
On the other hand, not everyone has had bad experiences. So, the question is: What is it that makes some Roma different from others? Does it depend on how dark the skin is? On how good their grades are at school? Or maybe it’s their financial status that creates all those difficulties. “As for me, I have never found myself in an awkward situation, neither at school nor in college. Maybe it's because of the more comfortable life that my parents made possible for me, and no one looked at me differently. Or I was just lucky to be surrounded by good people”, says Dragana Jovanović, Roma housewife and mother of two.
Photo: Jovana Makitan - Housing in Roma camps is very basic
Structural discrimination
Even when highly educated, Roma people, especially those who do not have the appropriate qualifications, face difficulties in employment. The jobs they mainly do are a collection of secondary raw materials, fieldwork, construction, and other difficult jobs. “The Roma women who manage to get a job here will often have employment for an unknown term. Those who have darker skin color or speak Serbian with an accent cannot get a job, even when they apply for the lowest jobs,” says Jasna Pantić from the Association of Roma Novi Bečej.
Structural discrimination and racism are a world known phenomena. “Although there is a serious deprivation from the Belgian government, we try to give everyone an equal chance. Another difference between us and Eastern Europe is that even the police chase after people there. That is certainly not the case here”, Maaike Buyst concludes.
Unparalleled traditions
Jasna Pantić also talked about the abuse of Roma children in schools: “Psychological violence among children in schools is on the rise. The pressure of peers to own modern and new property is very high and Roma children cannot fulfill that. On the other hand, there is no shortage of violence by teachers. Lack of support, commenting on the origins and their capacity based on what the school will do for you, surely you will get married next year (in 5th and 6th grade) are some of the examples of abusing children.”
Early marriage occurs frequently in Roma communities. More than 50% of Roma girls marry before their 18th birthday, while almost 20% of them get married before the age of 15. It’s a part of their tradition, but also poverty is the main cause. Some Roma parents have too many children they can’t support, so marriage is often the only solution. “It must be borne in mind that in most cases these are not personal decisions, but a traditional rule and control over the lives of girls and women. The cult of virginity is still a burden they carry, and resistance to that practice of marriage leads to violence and loss of family and community support. This practice is especially pronounced in rural areas”, says Jasna Pantić.
Why Serbia isn’t an EU member yet
To this very day, Serbia is not a member of the European Union. “In principle, Serbia should not be allowed to join the European Union because human rights are not respected for all citizens in that country. We have seen that some Eastern European countries with the same problem have joined the European Union. Now that there is a new wave of countries that want to join, I think that Europe should take strong action against this violation of human rights. Of course, there is still a lot of work to be done everywhere, but mostly in those countries”, says Maaike Buyst.
The Serbian government wants to become a member of the EU and is currently trying to meet the chapters needed to join. When it comes to helping the marginalized and Roma people, there’s an effort, but it’s not enough. The problem also lies with some people of the Serbian population. Roma people do not feel at home because they are discriminated against by them. It will take time to push current and future generations in the right direction for a healthy society.
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Online Project Journalism is a collaboration between Howest University, Belgium, and the University of Novi Sad, Serbia. In non-corona times the students of Howest work together with the students in Novi Sad during an annual study trip. This year it was an online project, making sure the intercultural added value of working together to create a journalistic product is not lost.
Students of Novi Sad created journalism products together with students of Howest. This project connects Serbia and Belgium every year. The products are proof of cooperation between students.
The starting point for the journalistic product was the uprise and growing visibility and influence of the Black lives matter movement. BLM is exemplary of a growing awareness of identity and thus becomes more of an issue on the political agenda, in the cultural sector, and in people's personal lives. In this way, it was possible to work on various themes, such as the human race, sexual identity, living with a disability, political preference, etc.
This is the fourth product that is published from the workshop.
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