Study of the Realities Facing Roma in Macedonia published by the International Minority Rights Group (MRG) and the Roma Democratic Development Association SONCE.
12 Roma mediators located in 6 municipalities interviewed hundreds of Roma in order to gather new information and get a complete picture of the inequalities, institutional discrimination and social prejudices faced by the Roma population in Macedonia. The results of this research are summarized and presented in the brief: "Roma in the Republic of Macedonia: Challenges and Inequalities in Housing, Education and Health Care".
The briefing, published in English, Macedonian, Albanian and Romani, has been released through the collaboration of MRG and SONCE. It makes numerous recommendations to the Macedonian government and local governments. The briefing focuses on three key areas in which Roma continue to face discrimination: education, housing and health.
The report includes a number of recommendations. Below are some examples from the text:
* Estimate the number of Roma children in each school district and ensure their equal distribution with non-Roma children;
* Review teaching materials and curricula to ensure that negative stereotypes are not included. If necessary, produce new materials that promote equal treatment;
* Speed up procedures for legalization of illegal buildings occupied by Roma; and
* Increasing the number of health mediators in municipalities with high density of Roma, with more resources to support their work.
