Throught the history and today, Roma women have been facing significant challenges when it comes to achieving economic justice due to a variety of factors, including gender, ethnicity, early marriages, strong patriarchy systems in Roma communities and their social status in general. Additionally, Roma women often face exclusion from opportunities that would allow them to improve their quality of life. As a result, they are often marginalized and experience poverty and oppression. It is crucial that we work to resolve these issues in order to ensure that Roma women can achieve the same level of equality as other members of society, and to give our support to as many Roma women as possible.

Therefore, it is our special honour to announce that the Regional Cooperation Council (RCC) has launched the Western Balkans Women Entrepreneurs of the Year initiative, in the framework of the Common Regional Market Action Plan 2021-2024 and RCC Women Economic Empowerment Agenda in six categories in total, and that one of them is dedicated to Roma women entrepreneuers, who are demonstrating the ability to fight stereotypes and poverty by creating decent jobs for the under-represented, vulnerable and disadvantaged groups, such as Roma women, while transitioning from conventional to digital and facing the challenges of the COVID-19 pandemic.

According to the latest UNDP, World Banka and European Commission Regional Roma Survey, only 46% of Roma females complete the compulsory education, while the same i true for 95% of non-Roma females in the region. Only 7% of Roma women are employed, and usually in a low paid jobs, such as cleaners or open market workers. Shocking 89% of Roma females are not in education, training or employment. The initiative of awarding Roma women entrepreneuers is especially significant as activities such as these empower other young Roma women and give them hope that it is possible to break the vicious cycle of poverty, exclusion and inequality. One of the amazing Roma women entrepreneuers we recently met is Ms Sladjana Vasic from Kraljevo in Serbia – watch her story and the strong message she sent to other Roma women here.

Read more info and nominate your prefered Roma Women Entrepreneur, and/or some other extraordinary women in one of the additional five categories: Green Woman Entrepreneur; Creative Woman Entrepreneur; Travel and Hospitality Woman Entrepreneur; Startup Woman Entrepreneur and Young Woman Entrepreneur.

The call for nominations will be open until 4 March 2022, and the winners will be pronounced and presented at the Regional Conference for Women Entrepreneurs in the Western Balkans event on 11 March 2022 in Tirana, Albania.