[women-rights] Action on Roma Women's Rights in Croatia

ERRC Brings Concerns Before UN Women's Rights Committee

Budapest, New York: 18 January 2005. The United Nations Committee on the 
Elimination of Discrimination Against Women (CEDAW) begins review of 
Croatia's  compliance with the International Convention on the Elimination 
of All Forms of Discrimination Against Women.

In the run-up to today's review, the ERRC provided the Committee with a 
report highlighting the most pressing concerns related to Romani women's 
rights in Croatia and  recommending Government action to address the 
discrimination and social  exclusion of Romani women in  Croatia.  ERRC 
Women's Rights Officer Kerieva McCormick and Ms Brigita Bajric, a Romani 
activist from Croatia and intern at the ERRC, attended the CEDAW session 
and presented the ERRC's findings before the Committee.

The ERRC drew the attention of the Committee to the fact that Roma are a 
burdened group in Croatia, facing the stigma of anti-Romani sentiment and 
frequently suffering racially discriminatory treatment. Romani women in 
Croatia find themselves in a situation of disproportionately lowered access 
to rights protected under domestic and international law, and in particular 
under the Convention.  The marginalisation of Romani women in Croatia is an 
example of intersectional discrimination, on the basis inter alia of gender 
and ethnicity.

Lack of citizenship and lack of political representation are among the 
major factors determining the particular vulnerability of Romani women to 
human rights violations. Discrimination in access to a range of social and 
economic rights -- most significantly education, employment and health care 
-- is experienced by many Romani women in Croatia -- even those who have 
managed to secure Croatian citizenship. Romani women are often victims of 
violence and abuse by public officials, especially law enforcement bodies. 
Domestic violence as well as other abusive practices such as child marriage 
contribute to the social exclusion of Romani women in Croatia.

The ERRC noted in its report that quality statistical data on Romani 
women's access to education, employment, health and participation in 
political and public life is for the most part lacking in Croatia. The 
Croatian government has to date failed to make public adequate statistical 
data on the human rights situation of Roma in Croatia, and in particular on 
the situation of Romani women.

The ERRC called on the Committee to urge the Croatian Government to 
undertake urgent measures to ensure that Romani women are not precluded 
from accessing fundamental rights, on an equal footing with all other women 
living in Croatia.  The full text of ERRC submission to the UN Committee on 
the Elimination of Discrimination Against women is available on the 
Internet at  http://www.errc.org/cikk.php?cikk=2124
_____________________________________________

The European Roma Rights Center is an international public interest law 
organisation which monitors the rights of Roma and provides legal defence 
in cases of human rights abuse. For more information about the European 
Roma Rights Center, visit the ERRC on the web at http://www.errc.org.

European Roma Rights Center
1386 Budapest 62
P.O. Box 906/93
Hungary
Phone: +36 1 4132200
Fax:   +36 1 4132201

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