Current projects

Sorry, this entry is only available in Español and Català.

On November 30, 2019 took place the XVIII Roma Women Students Gathering of Catalonia, This year, coinciding with the 20th anniversary of the organization, it has been celebrated in a special way.

The Gathering was held in the Paranimf Hall of the historical building of the University of Barcelona, a very special and emblematic hall that was also Roma during that day.

More than 300 Roma women from different parts of Catalonia, neighborhoods and cities participated, such as Font de la Pólvora, Figueres, Girona, Tortosa, Amposta, Reus, Tarragona, Camp-clar, Barcelona, Sant Adrià de Besós, San Roc, Hospitalet de Llobregat, El Prat, Badalona, etc. They met with the aim of sharing and reflecting on the educational improvements that will contribute to the educational success of our community.

The day began with the inaugural round table, with the presence of Ms. Ana Contreras, president of Drom Kotar Mestipen, Dr. Mercè Puig, Vice Rector of Students and Language Policy of the University of Barcelona, and Mr. Ramon Vilchez, head for the Program of the Integral Plan for the Roma People of the Generalitat de Catalunya, Dr. Jesús María Prujà, Head of the Office of Access to the University of the Generalitat de Catalunya, and Ms. Ana Lebrón, President of the Federation of Cultural and Educational Associations of Adults (FACEPA).

Ramón Vilchez, responsible for the Program of the Integral Plan for the Roma People of the Generalitat de Catalunya, Dr. Jesús María Prujà, Head of the Office of Access to the University of the Generalitat de Catalunya, and Ms. Ana Lebrón, President of the Federation of Cultural and Educational Associations of Adults (FACEPA).

Followed by the conference “Educational advances for the Roma woman” by Dr. Jelen Amador and the panel of speakers with the participation of Ms. Raquel Sánchez, Medical Student at the University of Pompeu Fabra, Ms. Amparo Santiago Luque, Psychology Student at the University of Barcelona, Ms. Manuela Cortés Fernández, Mare de la Salamanca and Ms. Manuela Cortés Fernández, Mare de la Salamanca and Ms. Amparo Santiago Luque, Psychology Student at the University of Barcelona. Manuela Cortés Fernández, Mother and daughter, with a degree of access to the University for people over 45 years old, Mrs. Sara Santiago Sánchez, Student of Nursing at the University of Barcelona, Mrs. Cidipe de Sa Cuaresma, Mother and daughter, working and in the process of literacy and Mrs. María Cortés, Graduate in Pedagogy at the University of Barcelona.

All of them explained their experiences in the educational path, motivating and encouraging the youngest and all women to achieve their goals, fulfill their dreams and together continue to overcome the barriers that we can find along the educational path.

Afterwards, the working groups were held, where the participants were able to contribute their reflections, improvement actions, experience and the will to continue building a successful educational path for our town.

To conclude the day, the conclusions of each of the working groups were shared and we had the performance of the singer Montse Cortés.

MEDIA

El Diario Feminista
“Las mujeres gitanas queremos que los profesionales no decidan por nosotras”
Link

Catalunya Ràdio
“Jelen Amador, doctora en Sociologia: “La universitat no m’ha fet menys gitana i tinc més eines per defensar la comunitat”
Link

RTVE

Catalunya Informació

🔴🔉 Només el 0,8% dels membres de la comunitat gitana arriben a la universitat. Elles, ho han aconseguit.
L'Associació de dones gitanes @DromKotar les ha reunit a la 18a trobada d'estudiants gitanes de Catalunya #educació #societat https://t.co/2y1vL1IDxT pic.twitter.com/iQfxO0l310

— Catalunya Informació (@Catinformacio) December 1, 2019

El diari digital de l’acció social a Catalunya:
“La universitat no m’ha fet menys gitana i tinc més eines per defensar la comunitat”
Alumnes gitanes animen a estudiar per “trencar barreres” i construir un sistema educatiu “més plural”
Link

Museu virtual del poble gitano
Las mujeres gitanas hacen suya la Universidad de Barcelona por una tarde con la voluntad de que sea para siempre.
Link

The RTransform project is coming to a close, and to this end we moved to Brussels on 7 September, to share the achievements achieved in these three years, the dream of bringing Roma Students’ Meetings from Catalonia to more territories became a reality, Roma women from Greece, Hungary, Bulgaria, the United Kingdom, together with our entity, held these meetings in their territories, achieving changes in the education system and empowering Roma girls and women to continue to form despite the barriers that we find in society.

This time we in the European Parliament will share the results and impact produced by this project.

Our Association also works in networks and participates in different organizations related to the Roma community, adult education and the fight against gender violence at regional, national and European levels.

Some of these organizations in which DromKotar Mestipen participates are:

• Pla Integral del Poble Gitano a Catalunya promoted by the Departament de Benestar Social i Família de la Generalitat de Catalunya and specifically within the administration as part of the working groups of Women and Education and as members of its Advisory Council.
• Federació d’Associacions Culturals i Educatives de Persones Adultes (FACEPA) – Consell Municipal del Poble Gitano de l’Ajuntament de Barcelona, both in the permanent commission and in the work commissions.
• Centre d’Estudis Gitanos de la UB, in the Assessor Council.
• Intergroup of the Roma People of the Parliament of Catalonia.

Apart from these groups, Drom Kotar Mestipen has participated as a collaborating institution in other European projects and Spanish projects.

At the national level:

Drom Kotar Mestipen is a member of KAMIRA, a Federation of Roma women from Córdoba, Spain. The collaboration has become stronger during the last years, especially with the work of empowering Roma women, and the concern of how to deal with gender violence and human trafficking, which also affects greatly the Roma communities.

At the European level:

Drom Kotar Mestipen is an invited member of three recognized organizations active at the European level, where in each of them the voices of grassroots Romani women are carried.

• The International Romani Women Network (IRWN)
• European Women’s Lobby
• EU Civil Society Platform against Trafficking in Human beings

Sorry, this entry is only available in Español and Català.

We have been awarded several prizes for our work and the social impact we have generated.

• Award granted by the jury of the XX March 8th Maria Aurèlia Capmany Award – Intergenerational Dialogue 2006. Barcelona City Council.
• Francesc Macià Plaque 2005. Recognition of the role of the organization in the field of improving the employment of Roma women. Generalitat de Catalunya. Department of Labor and Industry.
• Equity Award – difference between men and women 2002 for the best social innovation project, obtained jointly with the FACEPA women’s group and the Heura women’s group. Catalan Women’s Institute
• Sucessful story of the ROM-ACT project (Expanding Roma women’s access to non-formal and informal validation systems) by the European Commission. The said project was coordinated by Drom Kotar Mestipen from January 2013 until December 2014.
• Sucessful story of the OED (Outreach, Empowerment and Diversity) project by the European Commission. Drom Kotar has participated as a partner in this project from December 2012 to November 2014. Currently, the association is part of the second part of the project, ImplOED, which consists of the implementation of the first part.