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Description
The Roma people in our society continue to face discrimination or other violations of their rights. The project aims to contribute to the observance of the human rights of the Roma minority, with an emphasis on marginalized groups, while taking into account the current state of protection of the rights of the Roma minority and the wider social reality and related challenges in this area. The project will contribute to reducing manifestations of discrimination against the Roma minority through the active application of legal remedies in specific strategic cases and the implementation of other closely related activities, such as monitoring and advocacy in relation to responsible state institutions. The counseling center will implement the project activities in close cooperation with Roma activists.
Litigation as a tool is key to applying anti-discrimination and human rights law in legal practice so that people whose rights have been violated effectively seek justice. This increases people''s confidence in the judiciary and also increases the number of people who actively defend themselves against the violation, leading to its prevention in society.
Summary of project results
The project was important for the elimination of discrimination and other human rights violations against Roma and Romani women in Slovakia. For a long time, the responsible state institutions have failed to take effective measures to ensure the equality of socially excluded Roma and Romani women and their full inclusion in society. Barriers to access to justice have also persisted.
Throughout the project, the PP monitored cases of discrimination and other violations of the rights of the Roma minority, which documented the persistent cases. The findings from the monitoring were subsequently used in strategic litigation management and advocacy activities towards responsible state institutions and international human rights institutions. PP has addressed 29 proposals to various institutions to improve policies in this area, held 14 advocacy meetings and has been intensively involved in advocacy towards the UN CERD Committee, which has addressed relevant recommendations to the Government.
By conducting strategic proceedings, the PP has made real improvements in the application of anti-discrimination legislation, access to justice and contributed to the prevention of such cases in the future. The strategic court rulings achieved have resonated in the media, public and political debate and created pressure towards eliminating discrimination against the Roma minority, including its deep systemic manifestations such as segregation and racially motivated police violence. PP published a unique publication of stories of Roma and Romani women who stood up for their rights.
The project''s activities contributed to the Government of the Slovak Republic apologizing for the police raid in Moldava nad Bodvou and the practice of forced sterilization of Roma women. PP has achieved landmark court rulings in favor of Roma children discriminated against in special education and segregated in ethnically homogeneous schools, which accentuates the responsibility of the state.
Both the court proceedings conducted and the decisions reached are important timeless advocacy tools and will continue to influence state and local government policies in this area well into the future. It was unique in its use of strategic litigation, an important method of advancing minority human rights, in its significant involvement of Roma activists in its activities, and in creating a space for networking among them