Contact Person:
World Bank Washington- Merrell Tuck (202) 473-9516
mtuckprimdahl@worldbank.org
Budapest- Tunde Buzetzky 36 1 374 95 00
tbuzetzky@worldbank.org WASHINGTON, April 22, 2002—The exclusion of Roma living in settlements in Slovakia hampers their access to jobs, education and public services, contributing to deep pockets of poverty in the midst of a relatively well-off country, according to Poverty and Welfare of Roma in Slovak Republic, a new World Bank report released today in Washington. Informal estimates suggest that 420,000 to 500,000 Roma live in Slovakia, equivalent to approximately 8-10 percent of the population. Because of higher birth rates among Roma than other population groups, this share is likely to rise in coming years.
The report was prepared by the Bank in partnership with two Slovak nongovernmental organizations—SPACE Foundation and INECKO, which contributed in-kind support and led the fieldwork—and the Open Society Institute, New York, which co-financed the field research. It is based on recent fieldwork in 27 Roma settlements in three diverse districts in the country. Roma settlements are generally not included in household surveys, and as a result, limited information is available about their conditions. A key finding is that, within districts, the level of poverty in a Roma settlement is closely connected to regional economic conditions, the level of integration and segregation of the settlement, and its proximity to a neighboring village or town. Living conditions are poorest in the most isolated and marginalized communities.
"This report aims to improve understanding of the situation of Roma in Slovakia and to facilitate the development of policies and programs to help meet their needs. Progress will also depend on the participation of Roma themselves in civil society," explained Maureen Lewis, who oversaw the research effort and is World Bank Sector Manager for Human Development Economics in the Europe and Central Asia region.
Roma are poorer than other population groups and are worse off in terms of nearly all basic social indicators, including education and health status, housing conditions, and access to opportunities in the labor market and within civil society. Long-term unemployment among Roma is particularly high; social assistance benefits are the only source of income for some families; and limited communication and interactions between Roma and non-Roma in the country reinforce a vicious cycle of poverty.
The EU accession process provides an important window of opportunity for tackling Roma issues through programs and projects. The EU has focused attention on the status of Roma in the Slovak Republic, as attention to Roma issues is included in the criteria for accession. As the EU has acknowledged, the Slovak government has already set up the laws and institutional framework for minority policies, however the challenge of implementation remains, particularly at the local level.
Improving the status of Roma in the country will require a multi-dimensional approach involving partnerships between Roma and the Slovak government, NGOs, international organizations, local governments and communities. Approaches will require a combination of policy measures to facilitate access of Roma to public services, and community-based projects.
According to the report, policy measures to aid the Roma population, reduce poverty and improve living conditions should include:
· Improving housing conditions through expanding access to utilities and public services and providing incentives for communities and local governments to make necessary improvements in housing and local infrastructure in settlements;
· Expanding employment opportunities for Roma workers: enforcing anti-discrimination legislation; reducing non-wage costs and other disincentives to hiring of unskilled labor workers; and improving on-the-job training and re-training opportunities;
· Increasing the educational attainment of Roma: reducing barriers that keep children from starting school; expanding access to preschool; addressing the language constraint for children with low Slovak language proficiency; training of teachers; and reducing the number of Roma children in special schools for the mentally and physically disabled;
· Providing improved access to health care in remote areas: upgrading local infrastructure (e.g. roads and telecommunications), strengthening public health interventions by involving schools and social workers, improving reproductive health care; and,
· Addressing exclusion: through anti-discrimination legislation, public education and information campaigns; multi-cultural education; and training for public officials.
The report was launched two weeks ago in Slovakia, with stakeholder workshops in two towns in Eastern Slovakia (where the highest concentration of Roma live) and a meeting with parliamentarians and the press in Bratislava.
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