Fundación Secretariado Gitano

Proposals of the Fundación Secretariado Gitano for the 2023 Regional and Local Elections in Spain [editar]

• National level

The regional and local elections to be held on 28 May are key to laying the foundations for a recovery phase, after various crises disproportionately affecting groups in situations of greater social vulnerability, such as the Roma community. In a context of increasing social inequalities, it is necessary to strengthen the system of social protection and social policy in order to guarantee equal rights and opportunities for all citizens.

At the Fundación Secretariado Gitano, we wish to contribute to the electoral process and to decision-making by making proposals in two areas.

• First, we advocate strengthening policies aimed at fighting poverty and social exclusion, opting for measures which promote social cohesion and the basic rights of all citizens: guaranteeing a minimum income to provide protection against poverty while offering people genuine opportunities for economic activation; and giving priority to people in situations of greater vulnerability when investing in education, employment, housing and childhood services.

• Second, we propose specific measures to tackle the high incidence of poverty and the severe inequality gap affecting the Roma community in the areas of education, employment and access to housing, among others. To these issues, we can add discrimination and antigypsyism, which affect all spheres of Roma people’s lives. Measures are required to redress this situation of disadvantage, guaranteeing their equality, inclusion and participation in line with the National Strategy for the Equality, Inclusion and Participation of Roma people 2021-2030.

This can all be done by taking advantage of the investment opportunities offered by European Funds, both NextGeneration Funds and the new programming period of the Cohesion Funds (ESF and ERDF) 2021-27, whose Regulations specifically mention the Roma population as one of the social groups deserving priority attention.

Situation of the Roma population in figures

• 86% of Roma people live in poverty, with 46% in extreme poverty

• The rate of child poverty is 89%

• 66% of Roma people are aged under 30

• 6 out of 10 Roma children do not complete compulsory secondary education

• Only 17% of the Roma population aged over 16 have completed compulsory secondary education or more

• More than 9,000 Roma families still live in inadequate housing in settlements

• The employment rate is just 30%, and 16% for women

• 39% of Roma people feel they have suffered discrimination

12 proposals to advance in terms of equality for Roma people

1. Effective protection against poverty
2. An emergency plan to combat school failure
3. Effective implementation of measures to prevent and combat school segregation
4. Particular attention to the needs of Roma children
5. A programme to eradicate slums
6. Prioritise intervention and rehabilitation in neighbourhoods with inhabitants in situations of extreme vulnerability
7. Reinforce active employment policies, especially those aimed at groups requiring priority attention such as the Roma population
8. Protect and modernise street trading as a profitable and sustainable economic activity
9. Activities aimed at guaranteeing equal opportunities for Roma women
10. Inclusive measures to close the digital gap, which affects Roma people in general
11. Implement measures and services of assistance and guidance for victims of discrimination on grounds of ethnic or racial origin 
12. Institutional recognition of the Roma community and the promotion of their participation

More information can be found in the Leaflet of proposals.

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