“Voice of Romni” initiated a roundtable discussion with representatives of the Zakarpattia Regional State Administration, the police, mobile social-psychological assistance teams, and the Municipal Center for Social Services of the Uzhhorod City Council’s Department of Social Policy.

The event focused on protection against gender-based violence, with domestic violence being the most prevalent form. During the roundtable, we presented the findings of our large-scale study on gender practices and experiences of GBV within the Roma community. As a reminder, the participants of this study included Roma men and women from Uzhhorod, as well as Kharkiv, Zaporizhzhia, and Kryvyi Rih.

During the event, participants shared experiences and discussed cases of gender-based violence to gain a deeper understanding of the specific challenges faced by survivors and to develop more effective strategies for support. Our mission is to ensure unhindered assistance for everyone in need, which is why we invited individuals who work directly with the Roma community, provide support to survivors, and can establish effective prevention and response mechanisms to GBV at the local level.

Gender inequality fosters discrimination against women from vulnerable groups, including Roma women, both within and outside their communities. It also results in limited access to various aspects of life and quality assistance. During the roundtable, we collaboratively created a referral map with information on where survivors, alone or with children, can seek immediate help. Additionally, we developed contact networks to enhance collaboration with other governmental and non-governmental structures. In times of war, when the risk of gender-based violence increases significantly, it is crucial to unite efforts to protect the most vulnerable populations. “Voice of Romni” is committed to improving coordination among stakeholders, fostering dialogue, and encouraging cooperation.

The roundtable discussion “Protection from Gender-Based Violence During War” was held as part of a project supported by HIAS Ukraine in partnership with the Jewish Federations of North America (JFNA). The information presented in this material does not necessarily reflect the views of HIAS or JFNA.