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Discrimination and the Roma community, 2015
Findings of the CEDAW Committee (Convention
on the Elimination of All forms of Discrimination
Against Women)
On 27 July 2015 the findings of the CEDAW Committee
were made public. These were adopted at the conclu-
sion of the examination of Spain and its application of
the Convention on the elimination of all forms of dis-
crimination against women.
We would draw attention to the fact that the Com-
mittee makes it very clear that Spain did not pass the
examination. The report stresses that Spain needs to
improve its enforcement of the Convention in several
areas such as education, employment, political partici-
pation, health, combating violence against women, traf-
ficking in women for the purpose of sexual exploitation,
elimination of gender stereotypes, etc. The Committee
also rightly addresses the inequality affecting women
belonging to vulnerable groups and makes a series of
specific recommendations that Spain should follow in
order to ensure equal rights and opportunities for Roma
women. These recommendations include:
•
In the field of education the Committee urges Spain
to take effective measures to keep Roma girls in
school by means of special temporary measures
such as scholarships or free school supplies.
•
In employment it calls on Spain to implement tempo-
rary measures to foster the labour market integration
of women belonging to vulnerable groups such as
migrants, Roma, single mothers, elderly women and
women with disabilities.
•
Regarding women from vulnerable groups, Spain ne-
eds to adopt special temporary measures, including
legislative and political measures, to guarantee equal
rights and opportunities for women subject to mul-
tiple discrimination such as migrants, Roma, elderly
women and women with disabilities.
We believe that these recommendations are right on
the mark. Spain needs to implement the measures pro-
posed to boost equal opportunity for Roma women in
education and employment and to combat multiple dis-
crimination given that they are at a disadvantage com-
pared with other women and with Roma men. According
to the study “Roma students in secondary education: a
comparative survey” (2013), 64% of young Roma fail
to earn their compulsory secondary education diploma,
enrolment of Roma boys at age 16 is 63.4% and 48%
for Roma girls, school life expectancy for Roma girls
is a meagre 15.5 years, quite a distance from that of
non-Roma girls which stands at 21.3 years. That same
figure for Roma boys is 17.8 years. Therefore, we feel
that the scholarships and school supplies suggested by
the Committee are insufficient. It is absolutely essential
to keep Roma girls in the educational system by setting
up school tutoring schemes and raising the awareness
and winning the support of their families.
Turning to the area of employment, according to the
comparative survey “Spanish and Eastern Europe-
an Roma population: employment and social inclusion”
(2011) conducted by the Fundación Secretariado Gi-
tano, the unemployment rate of Roma women is 12 per-
centage points higher than the overall figure for Spanish
women. This points to the need for specific measures
to accelerate the process of equal participation of Roma
women in employment.
Regarding discriminatory treatment , Roma women
are subject to multiple discrimination as they are both
women and Roma. Social rejection and the negative so-
cial image perpetuated throughout Spanish society of
this minority, especially Roma women, gives rise to dis-
criminatory treatment in all areas necessary for a decent
standard of living (education, employment, housing, ac-
cess to goods and services, health, etc.). It is therefore
vital for Spain to provide adequate assistance, defence
and legal protection to prevent situations of defence-
lessness concerning Roma women who are victims of
discrimination.
Spain now has two years during which to report back to
the Committee on the measures adopted to implement
its recommendations. We sincerely hope that Spain