From 15 to 17.8.2022, we attended a meeting of the UN Committee on the Elimination of Racial Discrimination in Geneva. On 15 August 2022, our colleague Veronika and Nasťa spoke at an informal meeting of members of the Committee. In their speeches, they referred to a number of persistent manifestations of discrimination encountered by the Roma minority in Slovakia and specifically addressed the situation of Roma women. It was also through them that the voice of Roma women was heard before the Committee.

At the meeting, among other things, they said:

– “The maternity wards have separate Roma rooms for Roma women, as well as a dining rooms and bathrooms. We have been experiencing discrimination there for years. But the state doesn’t solve it.”

– “The government finally apologized to forcibly sterilized women last year. But that is not enough, it is necessary for the government to compensate the women.”

– “In Slovak schools, Roma children are segregated, they are put in purely Roma classes or schools. Many Roma children still end up in special schools for children with mental disabilities. Then they don’t have an education and can’t find a good job.”

– “I can tell you from my own experience that Slovak police officers commit violence against Roma. When Roma complain, no one solves it and nothing is investigated.”

– “During the Covid pandemic, life was very difficult for the Roma. Some settlements were closed by the government. A lot of people in the settlements don’t have drinking water and a lot of them got sick.”

They asked the Committee for support and answered the questions of some of its members.

On 16.8.2022, together with our lawyer Vanda Durbáková, they attended another lunch briefing meeting with a reporter and co-reporter of the Committee for Slovakia, where they discussed other systemic forms of discrimination against Roma in Slovakia. Among other things, they highlighted the lack of implementation of the anti-discrimination law in judicial practice and barriers to access to justice. The Committee subsequently held a dialogue with the Slovak government delegation on the implementation of the Convention, and our representatives were also there.

The UN Committee will summarise its opinion in its concluding observations it will issue in the coming weeks.

We are able to attend the UN committee meeting in person thanks to core grant provided by the Sigrid Rausing Trust as well as the project support of Open Society Foundations.