Romani People
Manushe
Education, self-confidence, emancipation": the motto of the Roma women's group Manushe, which brings together over 170 Roma women and men of all ages and educational backgrounds from across the Czech Republic. The group is also a member organization of the Czech Women's Lobby and the European Women's Lobby.
This informal group has been operating under the umbrella of the civic association Slovo 21 since 2000. The members of this women's group have initiated several interesting projects. These include political training for Roma women, the documentary film about Roma women in politics "Women in the Field," and the highly successful music video by young rappers "Don't Be a Fool!", which encourages Roma parents not to send their children to special schools. Manushe also includes a subgroup called Manushe Junior, which supports Roma girls and young women in their personal and professional development.
The name Manushe is the feminine equivalent of the Roma word "manuš" – human being.
Currently, they are systematically involved in the project Speak Up to Be Heard, which addresses the issue of domestic violence within the Roma community.
Latest news
Standing up for yourself isn’t against tradition: How we teach Roma women and men to recognize domestic violence
Checking your phone, dictating what you should wear—the boundaries of an unhealthy relationship are often subtle. Through its "Speak Up" project, Slovo 21 is addressing the issue of domestic violence within the Roma community and debunking the myth that it is a matter of tradition.
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A slap is not a sign of love. Romani women open up the topic of domestic violence in a theatrical performance
What does it mean to be a Romani woman? And who actually gets to decide that? Expectations, roles, and social pressure often dictate what women experience—and what they keep to themselves. Domestic violence has long been a taboo subject in the Romani community, yet our exclusive research shows that nearly one-third of Romani women in the Czech Republic have experienced it. This is why Slovo 21 created the new theatrical production Speak Up.
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Speaking up makes sense. Romani women at the Slovo 21 meeting shared their successes and the obstacles they face in the fight against domestic violence.
Domestic violence in Romani communities, anti-Gypsyism in the Czech Republic, and finding one's own strength. These were the exact topics addressed at the end of January during a meeting for our project, Speak Up to Be Heard. Twenty Romani women from various parts of the country—including Náchod, Písek, Broumov, Chodov, and Chomutov—traveled to Prague to attend.
I was surprised by how many women shared their experiences with domestic violence. – With Claudia Laburdová about the Speak Up project
The Speak Up project, focused on raising awareness about domestic violence within the Roma community, has been running since September 2023. Under the leadership of coordinator Claudia Laburdová, it has come a long way. At the heart of its various activities is the effort to inform women that violence in any form is not okay and that they do not have to face difficult situations alone.