International Roma Day: Solidarity in Times of Coronavirus
by Abriel SCHIEFFELERS
April 8th marked International Roma Day. The Secretary General of the Council of Europe and European Commissioner for Equality issued a joint statement calling for increased protection of Roma, particularly in regards to their access to vital services during the COVID-19 epidemic.
In a Facebook livestream, “Solidarity in times of Coronavirus,” Commissioner Dalli highlighted the fact that Roma communities face extra challenges and risk due to of high levels of discrimination compounded by access to clean water, sanitation infrastructure, and healthcare. All of this, in addition to a higher level of economic uncertainty amongst Roma and the spread of hate speech and fake news on the rise, create a dire situation for many Roma communities and individuals during the ongoing COVID-19 crisis. Commissioner Dalli called on states to respond to COVID-19 in a way that leaves no-one behind and guarantees the rights of Roma to access healthcare services and sanitation.
Various NGOs in Europe are doing awareness campaigns on the spread of the virus and how to contain it, especially targeting vulnerable communities. While we are all exposed to the virus, groups of citizens have particular needs that need to be addressed, and the Commissioner noted that “Roma people are exposed to certain realities that other citizens are not, for instance living in cramped settings like settlements and lack of running water, you cannot put everyone in one basket.” COVID-19 will have an influence on post-2020 strategy because it is bringing to light new issues and information related to vulnerability, ideally creating policies and measures that are more hands-on, reflecting the lives of people who are affected.
The Commissioner concluded by noting that in times of crisis like this we cannot only look at financial/economic issues, we also need to look at other important things like equality to create a Europe where every person can fulfill his/her potential.
Tags: Europe