Lithuania: empowering Roma women into work

The Roma community is one of the most marginalized communities in Lithuania and the Baltic States. The situation of Roma women is even worse. Roma women are highly vulnerable in both ethnic and gender terms. They are not accepted by society, struggle to get employed and feel forced to hide their ethnic origin. In April, Roma women gathered to share their stories in a roundtable discussion organised by the Baltic Region Roma Women Association (BRRA), with representatives of the authorities and various institutions attempting to address inequality and discrimination in the job market.

Feeling forced to hide their ethnicity

‘I wasn’t writing my ethnicity in my CV,’ said Bozena, one of the Roma women participating in the discussion, who now successfully works in her favourite job at her beauty salon after obtaining certification as a cosmetician. However, at first, she struggled to find a place in the job market. ‘Every morning, I was going to job interviews as if it was my regular work,’ she continued. Often, she experienced rejection and discrimination because of her ethnicity.

‘Now, almost all my clients are Lithuanian women, and neither they nor I have any problems with that. My clients return to me and even recommend me to their friends because I truly appreciate my achievement and work from the bottom of my heart,’ shared Bozena. Bozena’s example of facing double discrimination reveals the complicated situation of Roma women, not only in Lithuania but across Europe. Today in Lithuania, most Roma still live below the poverty line and are unwilling to approach institutions out of fear of discrimination. It is almost impossible for them to find a place to rent or get employed because both employers and colleagues look suspiciously at Roma.

Traditionally, Roma women marry early, drop out of school, raise children, and are totally dependent on their husbands. They do not have opportunities to get employed, study, or participate in public life. According to research conducted by the Department of National Minorities to the Government of the Republic of Lithuania, the employment level of Roma women both in 2015 and in 2022 reached only 9%. The number of unemployed Roma women is not diminishing because they face the above-mentioned double discrimination; the number of women enrolled in education has risen very slightly. Additionally, even 28.9% of women with Roma ethnic backgrounds are single mothers with children below 18 years old, entrenching their vulnerability

Sat at the roundtable

Under the MARIO Programme, the Baltic Region Roma Women Association (BRRA) organised an unprecedented event—a roundtable discussion titled ‘Roma Women and Employers’ Perspectives towards Integration into the Labour Market.’ Many Roma women, representatives of employers, and representatives of relevant state institutions and various NGOs participated in the discussion.

Taurimas Valys, Chairman of the Board of the Association of Employers and Investors of the Baltic Sea Region, Vice President of the Vilnius Chamber of Commerce, Industry and Crafts, and the Lithuanian Chamber of Commerce of Turkey, participated and expressed the position of the employers. Valys was pleased to see such a high level of engagement among Roma women and discussed general problems and individual cases demonstrating situations where Roma women could not be employed. As a result, it was decided to sign an agreement on cooperation to improve the situation of Roma women in the labour market, ensuring mutual support and cooperation in reducing discrimination and increasing integration.

Sociologist Dr. Remigijus Civinskas discussed some facts about the situation of Roma women in Vilnius. He stressed that the abolition of the tabor (Roma nomadic family grouping) had a major impact on Roma women and girls. Women were used to living together, but, as families were dispersed and spread across the whole city and the district of Vilnius, women became even more isolated and confined to their homes with small children.

Municipal employment officials Rita Raudonaitienė and Laura Darulienė also provided some important facts. Sergej Marmazov, an employment caseworker with many years of experience, presented and discussed concrete situations and solutions, stressing the importance for Roma to trust the staff of the Lithuanian Public Employment Service. Many Roma women have problems with credit and other debts but do not dare to talk about them. This is a pity because the Employment Service has many measures to address and solve this sensitive issue.

Gražina Sluško, Chief Specialist of the Department of National Minorities to the Government of the Republic of Lithuania, presented research data on the integration of Roma into the labour market for the period 2020-2022. The study shows that the employment rate of women has not changed since 2015 and remained at 9% in 2020. However, the educational attainment rates of Roma women are higher than those of Roma men. In 2021, 21.7% of Roma men and 28.1% of Roma women had higher than secondary education.

Loreta Šupšinskė, Chief Specialist of the Social Integration Section of the Social Welfare Department of the Vilnius City Municipality, presented the municipality’s Employment Enhancement Programme, which allows employers to employ people with low qualifications and competencies at no cost, thus allowing them to try out a profession. This measure is becoming increasingly popular among employers, and the number of employers who are recruiting workers for an indefinite period after the end of the programme is increasing every year.

Based on her work experience in various areas, from social enterprise to good practice establishment in education, Inga Kreivėnaitė, head of the multifunctional educational centre Padėk pritapti (Help to Fit In), reviewed the factors for Roma women’s skills development and capacity reinforcement. She was glad of the results of the ‘Šukar Beauty’ project, which helped three young Roma women into work in a beauty salon, and other young Roma women are following their example. One of the women works not only in the beauty salon but also at Padėk pritapti where she conducts activities with children and accompanies Roma youth to school – which has been very successful in improving school attendance.

Marius Nariūnas, a representative from the Roma Community Centre, presented the results of an implemented project ‘Let’s Work Together with Roma.’ Meanwhile, Janina Matuizienė from the Lithuanian Confederation of Trade Unions, Director of the Patirtis (Experience) National Association of the Elderly, outlined and discussed the opportunities for Roma women to integrate into society and the labour market. According to her, the situation could be improved by assisting organisations working with the Roma community, breaking down stereotypes, increasing the role of education and the media, and shaping new societal attitudes. J. Matuizienė emphasised the role of the community for successful integration.

Sharing painful life stories

The second part of the event — the discussion — was opened by Ištvanas Kvik, Chairman of the Lithuanian Roma Community. During the discussion, the participants heard many life examples, situations, and difficulties faced by Roma women trying to get employed. Thus, the Roma women decided to start their own activity, which would bring them all together — to make various handicrafts, sew Roma scarves, and make jewellery.

They plan to participate in the People’s Fair, which takes place in autumn, and make their handicrafts available to purchase online. A Roma women’s handicraft account Užburtas siūlas (Enchanted Thread) has already been set up on Facebook, where women upload pictures and descriptions of their handicrafts. ‘Maybe this will be the start of these women’s businesses, their first step into the labour market,’ says the determined event organiser, Vaiva Poškaitė-Kovaliuk, head of the Baltic Region Roma Women Association.

The project activities are implemented not only in Vilnius but also in Panevėžys and Marijampolė. It is expected that this project will help spread Roma women’s voices in the social, political, and business worlds in Lithuania.