Poverty, i.e. property status, is one of the main reasons for exclusion and discrimination against Roma, while the field of employment is one of those where discrimination is commonly seen, as evidenced by the Commissioner’s research and complaints this Institution has been receiving for many years, said Commissioner for the Protection of Equality Brankica Janković at a seminar dedicated to increasing the employability of young Roma men and women.

The chain of poverty, social exclusion, and discrimination can be broken by radical changes in education and employment. Our research “Perception of the Roma community on discrimination” showed that as many as 60 percent of Roma encountered obstacles in the employment phase, while 4 times fewer respondents, about 15 percent, encounter this problem at work. The Commissioner warns that the lower percentage of discrimination in the workplace is also affected by the fact that a small number of Roma are employed. According to official data, there are 29,000 Roma on the unemployment register.

At the seminar, which was held within the project “Improving the employability of young Roma”, and which is implemented by the Foundation for Roma Education, it was stated that, during the project, several professional trainings and internships were organized for young Roma men and women. Acquiring new knowledge and skills is an important way for young Roma men and women to become more competitive in the labor market, and that significantly increases the opportunities for their employment, the Commissioner said.