Over the past year, the Dignita Foundation has actively worked to raise the visibility of victims of trafficking for sexual exploitation and gender-based violence among marginalized Roma communities through its partnership with the National Network of Health Mediators. In order to counteract early severe forms of violence against women and girls, the joint work included training of health mediators working in the field with at-risk persons in segregated Roma communities in two localities - the town of Ngeta. Novi Pazar, in the district of Novi Pazar. Druzhba, and town of. Kazanlak, district. Karmen. In both settlements, subject of the analyses, there are factors that make representatives of Roma communities vulnerable to violations of their basic human rights. The main group at risk are women and girls of Roma origin, living in extreme isolation with organic access to social, health and educational services, highly dependent on their partner and his family.
Within the framework of the project, field studies were conducted to identify the needs of health mediators in their work with families at risk in specific locations, as well as the specific factors in each location that increase the risk of gender-based violence against women, respectively - leading to sexual exploitation.
In the course of the work, the following common factors of vulnerability to violence against women and gender-based violence were identified:
- Poverty and unemployment
- Lack of education or early dropout from the education system
- Early marriage and childbirth, mothers with many children
- Addictions to drugs and alcohol
The findings and recommendations of the two analyses were presented at a round table in June 2024 to representatives of government institutions, NGOs and experts involved in the issue. Preventing and counteracting these severe forms of chronic violence and dependence cannot be regulated by a specific measure alone. This is why the Dignita Foundation is calling for systematic and multi-sectoral policies at national level that address the various root causes of gender-based violence against women.
In parallel, special measures are needed at the local level to raise awareness about women's rights, first signs of violence, and indicators of involvement in trafficking for sexual exploitation. Resources within the communities themselves should also be mobilized as they are a major potential in early identification of violations against the rights of vulnerable groups.
As a civil society organisation committed to preventing and countering the worst forms of violence against women, we will continue to empower those working on the frontline among children and people at risk, as well as providing support to the survivors themselves.
The full text of the two reports can be found at the following links: - Vulnerability factors to gender-based violence against women in the Carmen neighbourhood, Kazanlak and Factors of vulnerability to gender-based violence against women in Druzhba district, Novi Pazar .