Closing the gap: Roma and Sinti youth

Roma and Sinti are sizeable communities in many OSCE participating States, and young Roma and Sinti are a significant part of the future workforce. However, the discrimination that they face in many areas of life, especially in education and employment, prevents many young Roma and Sinti from fully realizing their potential.

In 2003, the OSCE pledged to address the vulnerable position of the Roma and Sinti with the Action Plan on Improving the Situation of Roma and Sinti within the OSCE Area. In 2013, the OSCE participating States underlined the importance of focusing on empowering Roma and Sinti youth in addressing this communities’ challenges.

Ensuring the meaningful participation of Roma and Sinti youth, and particularly young women, in relevant decision-making processes is an investment not only in the future of Roma communities, but general society in countries across the OSCE region.

Michael Georg Link, Director of OSCE Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights (ODIHR)

Read the statement on International Roma Day

Through its Contact Point for Roma and Sinti Issues, the OSCE Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights (ODIHR) engages in activities to counter the discrimination and exclusion that young people from Roma and Sinti communities face in many OSCE countries.

The Contact Point’s latest report, Activism, Participation and Security among Roma and Sinti Youth, provides important new statistical data on the situation of Roma youth in 12 OSCE participating States in the areas of access to education, employment, personal documents, social and health care, as well as discrimination. As well as providing an overview of last year’s discussion and recommendations from the OSCE’s Roma and Sinti Youth Conference in Belgrade, the report features six background papers prepared by young Roma and Sinti activists and scholars. Download the report>>

Learn more about the challenges facing Roma and Sinti youth in our infographic, which is based on statistical data in the report.

Click the image below to access the high resolution version of the infographic.

Download the PNG version (0.58 MB).

We have to raise awareness, to empower young people to fight discrimination and to be active citizens in their countries.

Silas Kropf a young Sinti activist from Germany