The Roma, Ashkali and Egyptian communities continue to be discriminated against in education, while unemployment, which reaches over 40 percent in these communities, remains a challenge.
This was said during a media conference of the "Roma Versitas Kosova" organization, on the occasion of the International Roma Day.
One of the coordinators of this project, Fatlum Kryeziu, said that the issue of employment remains a challenge for the Roma, Ashkali, and Egyptian groups, since over 40% of these groups are unemployed.
"The topic of employment, for the Roma, Ashkali, Egyptian groups, is one of the most challenging topics, where the Roma community faces daily challenges. Today, since it is also April 8, we enjoy more attention and the way of expression during the conference, I believe, will affect the advancement of the rights of Roma, Ashkali, Egyptian members. Employment is an extraordinary challenge in Kosovo. Over 40% of members of the RAE and other communities are unemployed and local unemployment leaves a lot to be desired for these members of these groups and they are always left on the sidelines when it comes to employment. With the initiatives that we have had such as "Roma Versitas Kosova", we have directly tried to alleviate unemployment, where through donors and institutions we have tried to reduce the number of unemployment of these groups in Kosovo.... The situation in education has started to improves... We have managed to have a significant number of students who have graduated and every day more and more we want to influence their employment", he said.
"The Roma community as a marginalized group is having and facing limited access to education, employment and key areas for any society. Discrimination in education is a reality for the Roma community, while the Government of Kosovo builds inadequate mechanisms for the implementation of these mechanisms in the field of education and employment, but as such they do not find implementation, therefore this project is dedicated to the Roma, Ashkali, Egyptian community in five municipalities such as: Peja, Prizreni, Gjakova, Obiliqi and Graçanica", she emphasized.
In the framework of the communities and their crisis for education, a project has been realized. Genc Broqi, manager of the "Empowerment of students through monitoring" project, said that it aims to support students who belong to the communities, so that they have self-confidence and do not abandon the educational process.
We remind you that International Roma Day is a celebration of Roma history, traditions and culture, as well as a call for social inclusion. The day also aims to raise awareness of the challenges faced by the Roma community around the world.
This day was officially declared in 1990, in Poland during the fourth Congress of the International Roma Union, in honor of the first international meeting of Roma representatives, held in April 1971.