Ten years promoting equality for Roma women through the Calí programme [editar]

Fundación Secretariado Gitano (FSG) presented today, in the auditorium of the Mapfre Foundation in Madrid, a review of the 10 years (2016–2026) of its Calí programme for the equality of Roma women, in which nearly 7 500 Roma women have participated.

The Calí programme is a pioneering initiative, not only in Spain but across the European Union as a whole, as it develops specific actions to promote equality for Roma women through a comprehensive approach, involving a team of 44 expert professionals, the majority of whom are Roma, spread across 42 locations in Spain.

Its main objective is to promote the socio-economic inclusion of Roma women in vulnerable situations, fostering opportunities for social advancement, employability and the promotion of equality so that they can fully exercise their citizenship.

The Calí programme is co-funded by the European Social Fund Plus, the Ministry of Social Rights, Consumer Affairs and the 2030 Agenda, the ”la Caixa” Foundation, the Mapfre Foundation and more than 30 regional and local authorities.

Presentation of a decade’s results

The results presentation event was attended by, amongst other dignitaries, the Spanish Minister for Equality, Ana Redondo, at the official opening, which also featured a speech by Sara Giménez, FSG’s Director General.

Over the course of these ten years (2016–2026), a total of 7 497 women have taken part in training and employability programmes, of whom 3 648 have become active in their job search, nearly a thousand (948) have secured employment, and nearly two thousand (1 989) have resumed their studies or training. Around 600 women have been supported by the Support Service for Victims of Gender-Based Violence, and a total of 1 708 cases of ethnic discrimination have been addressed.

The profile of the programme’s participants consists of Roma women living in a situation of particular vulnerability due to a lack of education and training, high levels of the digital divide, or economic insecurity. They are all characterised by suffering multiple forms of discrimination based on gender or cultural background; the programme also places special emphasis on addressing any potential cases of gender-based violence that may arise among the participants.

The voices of the participants and the stakeholders

At the launch event, hosted by Elvira Vega, Director General of the Mapfre Foundation, a round-table discussion was held between the key figures of the Calí programme, ranging from the participants themselves to staff, coordinators and stakeholders.

At the close of the event, the funding organisations were given a voice, with the participation of Montserrat Buisán, Corporate Director of Social Programmes at the ‘la Caixa’ Foundation Ángel García Frontelo, Deputy Director General of the European Social Fund Management Authority in Spain; Arturo Parrado, Director General of Social Inclusion at the Government of Galicia; José Luis Sanz, Head of Philanthropy at Enterprise Spain; and Patricia Bezunartea, Director General of Family Diversity and Social Services. This session was moderated by Celia Gabarri, Head of the FSG’s Area of Gender Equality and Roma Women.