The European Commissioner for Human Rights presents the book ‘The unheard 12 millions" [editar]

The Council of Europe Commissioner for Human Rights, Michael O’Flaherty, has published "The Unheard 12 Millions" a book accompanied by a photographic exhibition, with the aim of denouncing the persistent situation of exclusion, discrimination and hatred suffered by the Roma in Europe, and calling on policy makers to act to guarantee their fundamental rights.

The Council of Europe Commissioner for Human Rights, Michael O'Flaherty, has published The Unheard 12 Million, a book accompanied by a photographic exhibition, with the aim of denouncing the persistent situation of exclusion, discrimination and hatred suffered by the Roma in Europe, and calling on policy makers to act to guarantee their fundamental rights.

Fundación Secretariado Gitano appears in this book as one of the most active organisations with a long history of working with the Roma in Spain and Europe.

The book takes a personal approach based on the Commissioner's various visits to countries such as Ireland, Slovakia, Greece and North Macedonia.

The aim of this book is to expose, through first-person accounts, photographs and direct testimonies, the daily realities of discrimination, marginalisation and lack of access to basic rights suffered by the Roma populations in these territories.

At the same time, these personal experiences and testimonies serve as an urgent appeal to policy makers, institutions and civil society to listen to these communities, respect their rights and take concrete measures to promote equality, justice and dignity.

In the book, the Commissioner lists the key elements common to each of the places he has visited:

• Systematic discrimination: the Roma face structural exclusion in many areas: housing, education, health, political participation and employment. In many countries, they are still socially marginalised and exposed to prejudice, stereotypes, verbal abuse and violence.

• Silenced voices, especially women and girls: although Roma communities have strong aspirations for justice and equality, their voices are often not heard in decision-making spaces. Particular attention should be paid to the intersectional discrimination suffered by women and girls on the basis of gender and ethnicity.

• Institutional failures: public policies, administrative structures, social services and other protection mechanisms have proved insufficient or have further marginalised these populations.

• Resilience and local action: in the face of these adversities, members of these communities act as agents of change: organising themselves, reporting abuses, showing solidarity, building bridges with civil society and demanding their rights. The testimonies in the book reflect this vital resilience.

We would like to highlight and express our gratitude for the highlighting of the work of Fundación Secretariado Gitano in the book produced by the Commissioner. Our work and vision are highlighted in three main points:

- The role played over the last 25 years by the Acceder Programme as a driver of change and social and labour inclusion for Roma people in Spain. Since 2000, Fundación Secretariado Gitano has been working to promote the inclusion of the Roma population in the labour market. The success of this initiative is based on years of EU and national funding, constant collaboration with the Roma population, local governments and private companies. Today, the Acceder programme is a testament to that perseverance: a comprehensive pathway to employment that combines specific training, support for self-employment and strategic alliances with public services and large companies. The words of our Director of the International Department, Belén Sánchez-Rubio, are also quoted in this book: ‘Access to opportunities does not happen on its own, especially for Roma women, who often face multiple barriers. It is necessary to create specific support structures for women and to reach out to them where they are, supporting them in their first steps towards independence.’

- The need to align needs, policies and funds in a correct and orderly manner through coherent actions that have an effective, respectful and timely impact, for as long as necessary. "To truly address the complex challenges facing the Roma population, we must adopt a more ambitious European perspective that recognises the magnitude of the problems and is prepared to tackle them with adequate large-scale investments. Small, fragmented efforts will not be enough," says Belén Sánchez-Rubio.

- Finally, the book highlights the fact that only 0.8% of Roma people in Spain finish university. This was the central theme of our latest educational campaign, ‘The Zero.8’, in which Carmen, the protagonist of our campaign, personifies this worrying statistic, which should be a cause for reflection for all public authorities.


The book concludes with a series of recommendations and calls to action to improve and change the current situation, such as promoting more active and meaningful participation by Roma people in decision-making processes that affect them; combating racism and discrimination through legislation, sanctions, public education, awareness-raising and reporting mechanisms; improving access to basic fundamental rights such as housing, health, education, employment and social protection; and finally, placing a specific focus on Roma women and girls as a priority objective.



The book is available at the following website: https://www.coe.int/en/web/commissioner/-/the-unheard-12-million