Description
The project seeks to increase capacities of key actors in public administration and resume processes of implementation of TEMs (Slovak synonym for affirmative action) to create equal opportunities of Roma generally and Romani women specifically utilizing the ground breaking recent amendment of antidiscrimination legislation. The project’s analytical and research activities in the first implementation year of the project will entail preparation of TEMs schemes on the grounds of ethnicity taking into consideration the gender perspective. We will also prepare guidelines on how TEMs can be used by the central administration and in the use of EU structural funds during the programming period 2014-2020. Through technical assistance to one higher regional unit, to municipalities and to a prestigious university, the project will help to implement the policy in practice. The project will also include a communication strategy directed to a broader public that should explain the need to adopt TEMs.
Summary of project results
The project develops innovative models addressing enormous inequalities between Romani and non-Romani populations in educational achievements. While building on existing initiatives helping Romani children at pre-school and primary school level, we focus on secondary and university education of Romani youth. In partnership with the Trnava Higher Regional Unity we have advanced a model of affirmative action in one specific locality in area of Skalica. Our intervention seems to prevent and curtail steering of Romani youth into low quality secondary schools with poor working prospects based often on Roma stereotypes.Through combination of outreach activities, teacher’s and parent’s capacity building intervention and support activities for students, we have developed a model that helps marginalized Romani youth to ensure selection of school based on their individual ambitions and capacities.In partnership with the University of Economics, we have prepared and implemented the first university affirmative action program in Slovakia called You also have a chance! The program includes outreach activities such as seeking and encouraging qualified Romani students to apply for the University of Economics. Moreover, in partnership with the University we offer free preparation courses for admissions tests in Bratislava, where the main campus of the University is based. We also offer support to students and their families, often traveling from marginal rural areas of Slovakia to ensure that they feel comfortable and safe in the capital city. We are pleased that the University has adopted the program as a permanent measure and continues beyond duration of the project funded by EEA grant. During the project we realized different activities:3 focus group, and round tables, 21 interviews with Roma families and their young adults, 27 times individual career consulting, 4x group career consulting,3publication . One of them is: Ensuring Equal Opportunities: Handbook on Study Selection and Career Counselling for Socially Disadvantaged Youth. This practical handbook is designed to help teachers and other professionals working with socially disadvantaged youth in career counselling. The handbook includes numerous exercises and methods of working with children and youth from marginalized environment to ensure that they have access to quality education in particularly during transition to higher secondary education.' has been added.
Summary of bilateral results