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Description
The project Affirmative action is based on the idea that not everyone has the same opportunities to get an education or a job because of belonging to a certain long-term disadvantaged group. Roma, women, migrants, or people with disabilities are often not judged solely based on their skills. The project is a tool to balance opportunities and helps overcome these ethnically set disadvantages. The project aims at better use of affirmative actions, through the improved awareness to increase the employment of Roma, primarily those from marginalized Roma communities. Affirmative actions are high-frequency measures increasing participation of a specific group in the specific actions – employment, education, access to public services, or others. Nevertheless, the approach focuses mainly on employment and job creation, it will also impact the issues of education and training of skills, inequalities, poverty, and marginalization or promoting gender equality. The project includes support for 1 existing service centre - Applicant locates in marginalized Roma communities Accommodation SPOOL, with the close distance to the other Roma community centres. The project partner Slovak National Centre for Human Rights carries out awareness-raising activities aimed at the public, capacity-building activities aimed at experts as well as research activities. The Norwegian project partner Stiftelsen Mangfold i Arbeidslivet contributes to the sharing of experiences from Norway and the Nordic countries relating to policies and practices in companies.
Summary of project results
The project focused on solving the inequality in access to employment and education of people from marginalized Roma communities. It also provided information and support for employers and other stakeholders to become more inclusive and improve processes to give more opportunities for people from marginalized Roma communities. The project also aimed to transfer good knowledge from Norway.
The project covered following activities:
1. Raising awareness and building technical capacities - Employers and key stakeholders were engaged through 1 seminar and 5 business breakfasts which focused on the use of affirmative actions. A total of 9 sensization trainings were conducted, and informatice brochures were distributed.
2. Cooperation with community centres and local NGOs - 16 memoranda of cooperation were signed during the project with community centres and NGOs. Three 2-days long training were provided to engaged subjects and 253 clients received support in employment and education, with 60 clients securing employment or enrolling in education programs. Additionally, 20 clients completed 3- module training for the position of sewing machine operator.
3. Policy recomendations - The project’s outcomes contributed to the development of recommendations for improving the application of affirmative actions in both national and regional policies.
The project resulted in following outcomes:
Employers and Stakeholders improved their understanding of affirmative actions, which directly contributed to the introduction of 5 new affirmative measures during the project. Additionally, sensitization trainings helped these groups to better comprehend the challenges faced by individuals living in generational poverty within marginalized communities, fostering a more inclusive approach to addressing these issues.
Community Centers and NGOs benefitted from increased capacity to support employment efforts for marginalized Roma communities. With guidance and assistance from the project applicant, these organizations became better equipped to provide targeted support to those in need.
Marginalized Roma Communities gained access to enhanced services, improving their chances of finding employment or education opportunities. Many individuals from these communities found new opportunities as a direct result of the project’s interventions.
Policy Recommendations were developed based on the project’s findings. These recommendations were shared with the government to improve policies aimed at increasing access to employment and education for marginalized Roma, ensuring that the project’s impact would have long-term benefits at the national level.
Summary of bilateral results
During the project implementation, the Norwegian partner, Stiftelsen Mangfold i Arbeidslivet, contributed with its international expertise to the practical application of affirmative measures in Slovakia and abroad. The study includes examples of good practices from Norway and details on Norwegian legislation related to affirmative measures. The Beneficiary also took part on the Study trip in Noway. Norwegian partner also organized and led a training session for NGOs. During the training session, experiences from Norway were shared, including the country’s employment service system and its approach to adult education. The Norwegian partner also offered valuable insights on how to collaborate effectively with employers.Norwegian partner attended the Final conference of the project and Final conference of the Programme LDI.