Protection from discrimination and improvement of the position of, through appropriate access to housing, education, work, and sources of income, must be high on the list of priorities of competent authorities and institutions, because these problems still decisively determine the position of the Roma national minority in our society, said the Commissioner for the Protection of Equality Brankica Janković at the conference “Respect for diversity as a cornerstone for the integration of Roma through employment – the case of Slovenia and Serbia”, organized by the Institute of Social Sciences.

The Commissioner’s survey “Perception of the Roma community on discrimination” shows that poverty is one of the main reasons for discrimination against Roma, while almost 90% of respondents see the way out of poverty in greater inclusion in the education process, which leads to greater employment. The fact that 60% of the respondents stated that they encounter barriers already in the phase when they search for a job, which is four times more often than at work itself, is worrying, the Commissioner pointed out.

Such data clearly speak of pronounced social distance and very strong stereotypes and prejudices towards the Roma population. Practice shows that, along with education, in which substantial progress has been made, it is also necessary to work on increasing the employability of Roma men and women. The organization of trainings, professional practice, and internship programs, through which they can gain their first work experience, is an important and effective way to make them more competitive in the labor market, and this significantly increases their employment opportunities, says Janković.