1 About the IPA Programme

1.1 IPA Programme

IPA - Instrument for Pre-Accession Assistance  is a new

instrument for pre-accession assistance for the EU 2007 - 2013

budgetary period, replacing the programs that were previously in

place - CARDS, PHARE, ISPA and SAPARD.

The IPA program was established with the Council

Regulation no. 1085/2006, while adopted on June 12, 2007 was

the Commission Regulation no. 718/2007 on the implementation of

EU Council Regulation on the establishment of the IPA

program. With Council Regulation no. 80/2010  from January 28,

2010 amendments were made to Council Regulation no.

718/2007. The financial value of the IPA program over the 7 year

period amounts to EUR 11,468 billion.

The basic objectives of the IPA program are to assist

candidate countries and potential candidate countries with their

alignment and implementation of the EU acquis communautaire.

The Republic of Croatia is a beneficiary of the IPA program

from 2007 until the moment it joins the EU. Responsible for the full

coordination of the IPA program in the Republic of Croatia is the

Central Office for Development Strategy and Coordination of EU

Funds, while the Ministry of Finance is responsible for all financial

administration.

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This unique instrument for pre-accession assistance during

the pre-accession period differentiates two groups of countries. 

Countries with potential candidate status for joining the EU

(Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Montenegro and

Serbia). Intended for the above countries are only funds

from the first two components of the IPA program.

Countries with candidate status for joining the European

Union (Croatia, Macedonia, Turkey).

In the case of candidate countries, the European Union, in

addition to the mentioned forms of assistance, ensures funds to

finance projects for full alignment of national legislation with the

acquis communautaire of the Union, full implementation of the

aligned legislation, as well as preparation of program beneficiaries

for implementation of the cohesion and agricultural policies of the

Union.

The IPA program consists of the following five components:

IPA I - Transitional Assistance and Institution Building

IPA II -  Cross-Border Cooperation

IPA III - Regional Development

IPA IV - Human Resources Development

IPA V - Regional Development

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1.2 IPA Program Component IV – Human

Resources Development

IPA program Component IV supports measures aimed at

promoting employment, education and social inclusion, and as the

predecessor of the European Social Fund IPA Component IV

finances projects in the field of social cohesion as a means to

achieve the goals set out in the European Employment Strategy.

Investments in the field of human resources development in

the pre-accession period are financed through Component IV of

the IPA program. 

The key framework of utilization of European Union allocations in

the field of employment, education, professional training and social

inclusion is the Human Resources Development Operational

Program.

The Operating Structure, made up of five public bodies with

different roles, is responsible for the management and

implementation of the Human Resources Development

Operational Programme: 

Sector ministries:

- Ministry of Economy, Labour and Entrepreneurship

- Ministry of Science, Education and Sports

- Ministry of Health and Social Welfare

Sector agencies:

- Croatian Employment Service

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- Agency for Vocational Education and Training and Adult

Education

The body responsible for the priority/measure is

responsible for supervision of the implementation of the

Operational Programme and has a crucial role in determining

priorities and measures

The Contracting Authority publishes the tenders and is

responsible for contracting, monitoring, payments and ensuring

control and quality of all phases of the project cycle. For potential

applicants and beneficiaries the basic contact is with the

Contracting Authority.

Beneficiaries of EU assistance can be legal persons (profit

or non-profit/public or private) responsible for initiating and/or

implementing project activities for which a tender has been issued

as a means of achieving specific goals which form a constituent

part of EU policy.

Projects under the framework of Component IV of the IPA

programme must be related to the priority and measure indicated

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in the Operational Programme as published in the tender. This

means that your project must be directed towards human

resources development in the context of employment, education

and social inclusion.

2 "Better Perspective for Roma Women in the

Labour Market" Project

2.1 Purpose of Project

The Croatian Employment Agency, Zagreb Office, as part of

the IPA programme - Component IV - Human Resources

Development - "Women in the Labour Market" was allocated a

grant for the conducting of the "Better Perspective for Roma

Women in the Labour Market", whose implementation lasts 12

months, in the period from November 17, 2010 to 16 November

2011.

The Roma national minority, with its particular

characteristics, represents a group that is more or less

marginalized in all aspects of life and work all over the world. It is

estimated that there are over 40,000 Roma living in Croatia, of

which about 13,000 in the City of Zagreb. For the most part they

live in multi-member traditional families with the patriarchal division

of gender roles, which places Roma women in the position of

additional marginalization and social exclusion.

According to estimates of the Croatian Employment Agency,

in 2010, there were 4,553 unemployed individuals of the Roma

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national minority registered, of which 2,410 Roma women

(52.93%). Most Roma women are not employed, are not formally

educated or have a vocation, do not have work experience and are

unwilling to change their current position. They have very low

motivation for seeking and accepting jobs because of their

orientation towards caring for their children and family.

This project attempts to raise awareness of the needs of

Roma women for professional and social development, to remove

prejudices of employers and the wider audience towards Roma

women by training them for an occupation and to actively seek

employment, and to join the labour market and society.

2.2 Project Goals

General goal

Contribute to the development and implementation of a

more active policy of the labour market, which is adapted and open

to the needs of Roma women in the City of Zagreb.

Specific goal

To develop tailor-made support and assistance in the

process of acquiring an education, as well as to improve job

searching skills in Roma women of the city of Zagreb.

2.3 Lead Partner and Partners

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The lead partner of the project is the Croatian Employment

Service, Zagreb Office, while partners are the City of Zagreb - City

Office for Social Protection and Disabled Persons, the CESI

Association and the "Bolja Budućnost" association of Roma

women in Croatia, with Berufsförderungsinstitut Burgenland from

Austria an associate in the project.

2.3.1. Croatian Employment Service

The Croatian Employment Service (CES) is a public

institution of the Republic of Croatia, constituted under the Act on

mediation in employment and entitlements during unemployment,

aimed at resolving employment and unemployment related issues.

Within the CES there are 22 regional offices and 95 local offices.

The Zagreb Regional Office is the only one that covers two

counties: the City of Zagreb and Zagreb County. The Zagreb

Regional Office provides its users services focused on increasing

employment capabilities, employment mediation, vocational

guidance, conducting active employment measures, as well as

material and legal protection while unemployed. In addition to the

above activities, it informs the public on trends in unemployment

and employment from the unemployment records, annually

conducts a survey of employers with the purpose of researching

the labour market, and organizes the Jobs Fair. With the stated

activities, the Croatian Employment Service, Zagreb Regional

Office encourages unemployed individuals to actively search for a

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job and to become more involved in the open labour market. The

Zagreb Regional Office has well-developed cooperation with

economic entities, whether large companies or small and medium-

sized enterprises, local government and self-government, with

which it has initiated numerous projects with the objective of

raising the competitiveness of the labour force at the level of the

City of Zagreb and the County of Zagreb. In addition to its regular

tasks, it is especially focused on the preparation and conducting of

EU projects, through which it has recognized the wider possibilities

of strengthening and including into the labour market those

individuals who are more difficult to employ and marginalized

groups of unemployed individuals, as well as strengthening their

capacities.

2.3.2. City of Zagreb - City Office for Social Protection and

Disabled Persons

The City Office for Social Protection and Disabled Persons

carries out activities related to: social protection and social welfare

rights, supervision of the activities of charity organizations,

conducting of strategies of social protection, protection of disabled

persons, social welfare of retirees, as well as protection of other

categories of citizens, encouraging and supporting social and

humanitarian programs and projects of associations and other

forms of organized activities and operations, coordination and

control of social institutes of the City, as well as other tasks that

are placed under its authority.

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2.3.3. CESI Association

CESI is a non-profit organisation established on March 8,

1997, on the International Women's Day, as a response to

problems related to violations of human rights, especially women's

and minority rights, issues of militarism, nationalism and the

deterioration of economic standards in the post-war period.

The goals of the association are:

To advocate for the full achievement of women's human

rights at the national, EU and international level

To encourage greater efficiency in the implementation of

public policies related to gender equality and women's

human rights

To include and to empower women to participate in social,

political and economic processes.

2.3.4. "Bolja Budućnost" Association of Roma Women

The association was registered in January, 1999. Since its

beginnings it has worked on the promotion of rights of Roma, that

is, on improving their economic, social, educational, health and

legal status in the Republic of Croatia. In relation to these issues it

offers free legal advice in the office of the association, as well as in

contact with Roma women in the field, due to the fact that Roma

women, that is, a large portion of the Roma population is not

familiar with its rights in the Republic of Croatia.

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2.4 Project Financing

The total value of the project amounts to 157,206.98 €, of

which about 77.31%, that is, 121,535.31 € are funds from the

European Union, while the contribution of the lead partner of the

project, the Croatian Employment Service, Zagreb Regional Office,

through the work of its employees amounts to approx. 16.63%

(26,141.27 €). The City of Zagreb, as partner on the project, has

provided the facilities for the CASI "Romani" Centre for Advice,

Support and Information, and finances the project with 70.000

HRK.

2.5 Project Expectations

2.5.1. Expected Results

Self-aware and aware Roma women with a strong need for

professional and social development.

Increased competitiveness of Roma women in the labour

market, acquiring of vocation and IT literacy

Roma women with the skills necessary to independently

search for employment.

Interested employers and making the public sensitive to

accepting and employing Roma women.

Developed program for employment preparation of

marginalised groups of Roma women and of job coach

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Establishment of the CASI "Romani" Centre for Advice,

Support and Information at the address Alfirevićeva 6,

Zagreb.

2.5.2. Possible Risks

Lack of motivation of unemployed Roma women to join the

project

Lack of interest and unwillingness of the public to accept

Roma women in society

Lack of adequate vacancies in the labour market

Lack of interest of employers to hire Roma women and to

participate in the project

Lack of support and openness of the local community to

conduct the project

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3 Main Activities of the Project

3.1 Survey of Roma Women

The Roma national minority, with emphasized particular

characteristics concerning way of life in all countries, including

Croatia, represents a social group that is, to a larger or lesser

extent, marginalized in all areas of life and work.

The emergence of the global economic crisis, which has

resulted in the loss of jobs and an increase in unemployment, has

additionally threatened the Roma population. The unfavourable

economic changes and the lack of willingness of the Roma

themselves to change their way of life, as a result of historical

heritage and intolerance of the majority population for accepting

diversity, especially when in question is a group of lower economic

status, has led the Roma minority group in Croatia to deep poverty,

and Roma women into an even more unfavourable position.

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In today's Roma families still present is the traditional

patriarchal division of roles. Women are concentrated on caring for

the children and family, while the man is responsible for the

material security of the family, whereby the power of decision

belongs to him. Given the existing economic situation, culture of

living and the role in the family, Roma women are marginalized in

several ways and are mostly inactive in the labour market. At the

level of the City of Zagreb, the registered unemployed Roma

women predominantly do not possess the necessary knowledge

and work experience, as well as the developed skills to search for

a job on their own. Given their educational structure and lifestyle,

there is only a remote chance that the initiative for change to the

existing state will come from the group itself.

Therefore, as part of the IPA programme Component IV -

Development of Human Resources, initiated was the project "Better

Perspective for Roma Women in the Labour Market". The project is

aimed at marginalized, unemployed Roma women with the

objective of starting initiatives for change to the existing state and

to build a new model of preparation for employment that is adapted

to them. One of the first activities of the project was to survey the

Roma women. More on the stated study can be found in Annex 1

on page 62.

3.2 Surveying Employers

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Given that the goal of the project is to develop an adapted

model for job preparation of marginalized groups of women,

including Roma women, with the purpose of their stronger

inclusion in society and the labour market, through the project 30

unemployed Roma women will be trained for their first vocation, to

actively seek employment, and with the professional support of the

job coach and the activities of the "Romani" Centre for Advice,

Support and Information (CASI), they will attempt to join the labour

market - to find employment.

The current needs for employees on the labour market, as

well as the readiness of employers to hire marginalized Roma

women, were examined by means of a survey.

The survey was completed by 150 employers, mostly under

private ownership (128 employers or 85.3%), while 15 or 10.0%

were state-owned, 4 employers or 2.7% stated no ownership

(associations, communities or similar organizations), 2 employers

did not reply, while 1 employer was of predominantly private

ownership.

The surveyed employers employ a total of 18,235 workers,

of which 6,047 are women (33.2%), and employed full-time are

16,022 workers or 87.9%.

Given the large number of workers they employ, we can

differentiate:

large employers – 13 employers or 8.7% (employing a total

of 15,121 workers)

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medium employers – 21 employers or 14.0% (employing a

total of 2,126 workers)

small employers – 110 employers or 73.3% (employing a

total of 988 workers).

Of all of the surveyed employers, 6 employers or 4.0% did not

specify the number of workers currently employed.

More on the results of the survey can be found in Annex II

on page 111.

3.3 Job Coach Training

The fundamental and initial part of the training was to

define the coaching process as "a discussion that helps individuals

take responsibility for their own learning and change". Covered by

the training were diverse topics whose goal was to strengthen the

beneficiaries, inclusion in the world of work and to work on their

own advantages and insufficiencies with the objective of providing

help to others. Topics covered both in theory and in practice were:

development of communication skills,

learning the skills necessary to lead an interview,

work methods with difficult beneficiaries,

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development of group dynamics and communication,

self-management as job coach,

preparing an action job search,

the importance of supervision with the aim to establish a

good relationship with beneficiaries in order to

independently search for a job.

The job coach training as part of the "Better Perspective for

Roma Women in the Labour Market" was organized by the Prava

formula d.o.o. educational institution in the period from March 28,

2011 to April 12, 2011. Participating in the training were six

job coaches, from the group of unemployed persons, social

workers, as well as advisors from the Croatian Employment

Service, supervisors. The teaching content of the training was

divided into two modules.

MODULE 1

Module 1 begins with an initial introduction and a

presentation of the program. Defining coaching as a discussion

that takes place through four phases and helps people take over

responsibility for their own learning and changes is followed by a

description of skills, attitudes and values of the job coach. The

phases of each coaching are awareness of the needs and desires

for change, planning actions and taking on responsibility,

implementation of plan by using skills and techniques and

assessment of success of actions, as well as awareness of what is

learned.

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The objective of the training was to guide coaches as best

as possible through all four phases so that the quality coaching of

the project beneficiaries could lead to quality relations and results.

The Code of Ethics of the European Mentoring and

Coaching Council (EMCC) covers five of the most important

characteristics of a coach, which are competence, context,

boundary management, integrity, and professionalism.

The leaders of the training familiarize the participants with

the four levels of coaching and explain them in detail, and speak

about the basic skills of the coaching process itself; building

rapport, listening levels, use of intuition, questioning and providing

supportive feedback. It is essential to achieve a good rapport with

the beneficiary because the basis of each coaching discussion is

the feeling of trust. Each of the basic coaching skills is covered,

and afterwards training participants move on to the practical part,

and with a partner in the group practice what was covered up to

that point.

After the introductory topic, the leaders of the training

familiarize participants with the next, extremely important topic in

the coaching process - communication. In addition to the definition

of coaching, also covered are features, hindrances and obstacles

in communication, verbal and non-verbal communication, as well

as listening as a key element in efficient communication. Following

the presentation by the leaders is the practical part with practicing

pull (active listening and open questions) and push (giving

opinions and recommendations) communication techniques.

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Also emphasized is the consistency of verbal and non-

verbal communication, a good message transmitter always

balances verbal and non-verbal communication.

The presentation of teaching content and the practical part

is followed by the assessment for the day.

The second day of the training begins with a revision of the

key points of the previous and a presentation of the daily program.

The main topic of the second day was the interview. After

types of interviews the topic switched to the quality of the

interviewer, preparation for interview, space and the usual

mistakes such as unclear objectives, poor planning, poor

questioning technique. For a quality discussion active listening of

the other party is necessary, and the basis of active listening is

indirect sub-questions. Questioning makes communication more

effective and builds trust in the other party, and it is therefore

important to emphasize what types of questions exist and what are

their characteristics. It is precisely for this reason that the leaders

of the training pass through the different types of questions in

detail; open, closed, guiding, "why" questions. Training participants

are familiarized with the framework of the "Skilled Facilitator",

which has three steps and by using it two goals are achieved; to

help the client develop potentials that the beneficiaries did not use

up to that point and to help clients help themselves as best as

possible. As with every other topic, so too in this one, the training

participants practice the interaction phases according to the

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"Skilled Facilitator" model, which can be used in everyday work

because it is very practical and pragmatic.

Also discussed are the interview objectives, the so-called

SMART objectives, which are also covered both in theory and in

practice. The smart goals help clients activate themselves, to

determine priorities and to gain insight into the importance of their

actions.

The GROW model, as one of the numerous models used

for the development of individuals, is the next topic. Conversations

structured on questions of the GROW (goal, reality, options, will)

model help individuals become aware of the responsibility for their

own life. In the first phase, the collocutor is helped in defining the

goals, then the goals are checked compared to the current state,

after that elaborated are various paths that could lead to the goal

and finally the collocutor must assume responsibility for achieving

the set out actions.

The next topic is presentation skills, that is, the format for

presenting multi-part information. The Kolb format, which is used

to form the method of communication with the public for

presentations, is also covered in the practical part. Practically

everything that is wished to transfer in the written or verbal form

can be structured through the questions "Why?", "What?", "How?",

"What if?". The parts of the presentation must be designed and

meaningfully ordered. Attention is directed to each of the four

quadrants and instructions are given on how to successfully

develop them.

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Also important parts of successful communication are 'I'

messages that are composed of active (a description of the

specific behaviour that bothers me, the consequences of this

behaviour, feelings that this behaviour causes) and passive parts

(what I want you to do).

The Aikido technique reduces the energy of the attack and

mitigates the conflict in communication, and consists of three

parts, "acknowledge, express feelings and lead." The key to non-

violent communication is acknowledging the other party and

compassion, and the Aikido principle in communication is used

precisely for this, the other party is shown respect and acceptance.

This technique as well is practiced by all participants because it is

important that, during training, these techniques are mastered as

much as possible for quality work with beneficiaries.

The third day also begins with a revision of the key points

of the previous day.

Given that the target group of the "Better Perspective for

Roma Women in the Labour Market" project is quite demanding, it

is also assumed that the coaches will also find themselves in quite

demanding situations that will require specific manners of

resolving. For this reason the topic of the third day of training is

focused on managing relationships with demanding beneficiaries,

as well as introduction to the tools for work. While talking to all of

the training participants, an attempt is made to detect all potential

problems in work with the project beneficiaries. After this, an

attempt to find a solution to the problem is reproduced, through

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role playing. Also applied are the communication techniques

already learned. The leaders of the training provide support to the

coaches and encourage them to develop their personal style in

demanding situations.

Also discussions are held on one of the greatest obstacles

in working with beneficiaries, and this is their motivation. The main

problem is how to motivate beneficiaries for work and development

given that it is assumed that most have not been in a position to

leave their surroundings and to turn to another way of life. The

goal of the discussion is to find as many positive sides to

participating in the project, a positive influence on beneficiaries

themselves, as well as their future in the nearer and further

surroundings.

On the fourth day the focus is on group work. The

processes in the group and the group dynamics develop in several

phases; the orientation phase, the struggle for power, the trust

phase, differentiation and separation phase. Detailed discussions

are held in every phase, and after that about the group leader.

Given that group work is anticipated in the project, an

attempt is made to apply the matter to potential group meetings in

order to receive as best an impression as possible of the activities

that follow.

Work in small groups differs from work in large groups; it

encourages the inclusion of participants in the discussion already

in the early phases. Some of the methods of group work are

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brainstorming, creating as many ideas as possible on some topic

or problem, brainwriting, the written variant of brainstorming,

fishbowl, the name for structured activities performed only by a

part of the participants.

There are also the gallery method, card techniques,

multiple choice techniques and lectures as probably the oldest

teaching method. The presentation is usually followed by a

discussion in which participants express their thoughts and

positions so there is further talk of this and in more detail, as well

as methods of how to encourage and to lead in the right direction.

It is important that the group leader, with appropriate interventions,

creates a stimulating group dynamic and successful discussion. A

good analysis of the topics, setting of goals and good knowledge

of the group are of vital importance. In addition to good leading of

the group, for a positive group dynamic necessary is will and

desire for participation of all members of the group.

Also discussed is role playing as a form of group work. This

is a very simple method of practicing some skills and acquiring

knowledge. The leaders of the training suggest role playing as one

of the possible methods of working with project beneficiaries.

The last day of the first training module begins with a

revision of the key points of the previous days and the topic of time

and stress management. It is assumed that, in work on the project,

along with numerous demanding situations, there will be a great

deal of stress, therefore, it is important to reduce it as much as

possible.

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After defining stress, there is talk about the burn-out

syndrome. After the burn-out signs - physical, emotional and

mental exhaustion, there is talk about the phases and sources of

stress. After training participants are familiarized with the inner and

outer sources or stress, they talk themselves about their

experiences related to stress and methods of getting rid of stress.

The leaders of the training then talk about the ways of

dealing with stress. There are three methods that they introduce to

the participants: change to the source of stress, withdrawal from

the stressor and accepting the stressor.

All three are discussed more in detail, and afterwards about

stress resistance.

Besides the everyday steps for managing their own stress,

there is talk about long-term methods of combating stress.

This is followed by a practical part in which training

participants undergo some of the methods for relieving stress. This

part is of great significance because they go through exercises

which require only a few minutes and all participants can perform

them at the workplace during working hours.

MODULE 2

In the second training module focus was transferred to

concrete activities in the individualized work of the job coach with

beneficiaries. Topics covered included: creation of an action plan

for finding employment, preparation for meeting with employer,

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presenting themselves to employer and support after employment.

A part of the module was dedicated to the organization of activities

of the job coach in order to achieve greater success, as well as

coping with demanding situations in dealings with beneficiaries.

In the introductory part attention was given to the

importance of identifying the needs and potentials of beneficiaries

in order to be able to create a quality action plan for finding work

as a foundation that will be used to define further steps and guide

efforts in finding employment.

Conceived were the first four contacts with beneficiaries

and activities that would be favourable to achieve in those

individualized training sessions. It was emphasized that, at the

beginning, it is very important to achieve a relationship of trust and

security with the beneficiary, and to explain all of the goals of the

project and to remove concerns to keep the beneficiaries

motivated for further work. It is very important to inform

beneficiaries in a timely manner about future activities and to

check whether they approve of those activities in order to prevent

future problems.

The course of the individual training was planned and

defined were the possible topics of the individual training sessions

in the various phases of the project and forms for tracking the

training sessions. Before the training it is necessary to make a plan

and to set the goal. During the individual training the methods used

will be interviews and communications techniques learned in the

first training module. After each encounter it is necessary to carry

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out a debrief, that is, to establish what has been determined,

learned or made aware at the training, and to define further

activities necessary for achieving the goal. It is desirable to write

down and to sign these activities in order to make them clearer

and to increase motivation for performing those activities.

The next important step is to prepare the beneficiary to

successfully search for employment. This part is a more

demanding and depends on the level of education and experience

of the beneficiary, and it is possible that some will need more time

to adopt specific job-searching skills. This is true, for instance, for

beneficiaries who are IT illiterate, who must acquire the basic

computer skills to look through job ads on the Internet on their

own, to fill out a job application and to write their CV in word

processing programs, as well as to contact employers via email.

For those beneficiaries it is necessary to organize some individual

training sessions on the topic of basic use of computer and

Internet when job searching. It is necessary to go through the

training explaining all phases of successful job searching with

beneficiaries. A good CV is extremely important when seeking

employment. Beneficiaries should be informed and advised on the

CV form, and to help them and encourage them to include in their

CV all of the advantages with which she would be more

competitive in seeking employment. After identifying a potential

employer given the capabilities of the beneficiary, it is important to

gather more information about the employer and the available job

opening. Beneficiaries must be aware of the conditions for the job

vacancy to which they applied and to assess their strong points

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and competences in order to answer the needs of the employer. It

is important also to become aware of the disadvantages, and to

find a way to diminish or replace them with some advantage. After

summarizing all the information beneficiaries should have the

material necessary to successfully write a motivational letter.

Besides the formal form of the motivational letter, it is important for

beneficiaries to assess which information should be emphasized in

the motivational letter. Beneficiaries will often contact employers in

writing, by mail or email, however, a large number of employers

seek telephone contact. Contact by telephone is more difficult

because telephoning culture must be learned, as well as how to

react to unexpected questions. Also it is possible that nervousness

may set in and this is why it would be very useful to make use of

the individual role playing training of a telephone call with

employer. With such exercises it is possible for beneficiaries to

learn how best to present themselves and to leave a good

impression, and to reduce nervousness.

The job searching process is difficult, and sometimes it is

long-term, and during that process the person can undergo several

rejections. It is important to explain to beneficiaries that they are

competing for the job opening with several candidates with similar

qualifications, and that rejection is no reason to give up from

continuing to search. The rejection experience should be used to

think about the reasons for the rejection and the methods to rectify

possible mistakes in presentation to the employer.

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Further in the training all of the participants practiced the

negotiation methods in working with the employers through role

playing, and those with more experience (supervisors, social

workers), with suggestions for progress, attempted to perfect the

methods of those less experienced in negotiation techniques (job

coaches). The coaches, using previously learned communication

tools and suggestions for promotion, applied the "face to face"

approach with the employer and telephone contact.

Considered further were potential problems in the process

of finding employment of beneficiaries such as: family disapproval,

unavailability of child care during working hours, and attempted

were various communication techniques (for instance GROW) to

practice ways through which coaches will help beneficiaries to deal

with such problems, and to resolve them to the largest extent

possible using resources from their surroundings and the wider

social network (wider family, other beneficiaries and so on), as well

as through group support meetings. As an important point the

leaders of the training also emphasized realistic expectations of

both beneficiaries and the coaches themselves, and an attempt

was made through brainstorming to become aware of all of the

possible difficulties that may be encountered in work (failure to

attend training sessions, the failure to find employment due to the

current situation in the labour market and so on).

Besides the methods and possibilities of resolving possible

difficulties, the coaches have also learned how to deal with certain

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beneficiaries giving up, as well as with the fact that some of them

will not manage to find a job for the duration of the project.

Once again it was emphasized that coaching is a process

of a partner and volunteer relationship, and that if they do not find

employment, they will remain richer with new knowledge and

experiences that will be of use to them in the future, and to transfer

them to family and the wider social community.

All present agreed that it is important to ensure support in

the work of the coaches, especially in more demanding situations,

which is to a large extent the role of the project supervisor, whose

purpose is to help the integration of practical experiences with

theoretical knowledge, help the coaches to arrive to their own

solutions to the problems they encounter in their work, to better

handle stress and to build their professional identity.

One of the essential skills of this day and age is the skill of

time management, and training participants, with the purpose of

using their time in as best a manner as possible, attempted to

acquire skills for determining priorities in their daily and weekly

schedules, as well as to reduce to the minimum so-called "time

stealers" such as unnecessary meetings, random visitors,

discussions with no purpose etc.

A significant part of Module 2 consisted of preparing

conceptual designs on methods of preparing data, updating

databases, as well as creating forms (leading individual training

sessions and tracking the progress of beneficiaries, reporting on

28

individualized trainings held, list of visited employers etc.) which

will be used in the work of the job coach and supervisor. Also

created was an indicative timetable for trainings.

At the end of the group part of the training, the training

participants agreed to maximum cooperation and support during

the course of the project. They jointly evaluated the entire course

of the training and concluded that, at the end of the training, they

were more aware, competent and had more self-confidence, and

that they learned new and became more aware of existing skills

necessary for further professional and personal development.

The training formally ended with an individual coaching

encounter lasting up to 90 minutes (between the participants and

the educators), whose goal was to further empower the participant

and to allow her to use her potentials in work with beneficiaries,

but also for her own further development.

3.4 "Building Self-Confidence, Strengthening

Motivation and Preparing for Independent Job

Searching" Workshop

The CESI association, a partner in the project, in February

held a workshop on the topic "Building Self-Confidence,

Strengthening Motivation and Preparing for Independent Job

Searching". By actively participating in the workshop

participants/beneficiaries of the project acquired the basic

29

communication and presentation skills necessary to actively

search for employment.  The success of the workshop can best be

expressed by the words of the participants - "I think that this

workshop is a must for every person who needs help finding

employment. It is very interesting and instructive!" and "I believe

that this workshop has significantly helped and encouraged Roma

women to realize that they have rights just like everyone else".

The first workshop was held from February 14-18, and the

second from February 21-25, 2011. These workshops were held in

the facilities of the Croatian Employment Service in Zagreb

(Zvonomirova 15).

The leader of the workshop was Gordana Obradović

Dragišić from CESI, and it was successfully completed by 31

persons (15 in the first and 16 in the second workshop).

3.5 "How to Look for a Job" Workshop

On March 23 and 25, 2011 held were group support

meetings / workshops under the title ˝How to Look for a Job".

Invited and participating at the group support meeting were 15

individuals. After the meeting, project beneficiaries filled out an

assessment questionnaire. The goal of the workshop was to

30

present to the Roma women the ways and methods of job

searching, with which most of the present women had not

encountered up to that point or were not successful. The workshop

was headed by the psychologist from the Professional Orientation

Department.

From the analysis of the results of the assessment lists, it is

evident that the project beneficiaries consider the group support

meeting on the topic of "How to search for a job" quite useful, both

in terms of content and personally, and certainly believe that such

and similar support should be continued in the future.

3.6 "Possibilities for Including Roma Women in the

Labour Market and in Society" Group Support

Meeting

Three group support meetings - each for one group of

participants of the educational programmes were held at the

location of and organized by the Croatian Employment Service.

The meetings were, along with the project beneficiaries

- Roma women, attended by their job coaches, project

supervisors, project social workers, as well as Ms. Ramiza

Memedi, President of the "Bolja Budućnost" association of

Roma women, a partner in the project. Ms. Memedi presented

herself and her organization, and stated that she hoped that

her positive example would encourage other Roma women as

well to take a more active role in society.

31

The meetings took place in a pleasant and relaxed

atmosphere, and developed into an active discussion on broad

topics, touching upon various problems and numerous

stereotypes from the everyday lives of Roma women.

Achieved were the main goals of the meetings -

empowering the Roma women and their further motivation for

schooling and employment through insight into the living

experiences of successful Roma women, expressing their own

thoughts and experiences, as well as an overview of the

forthcoming changes to the social welfare system.

3.7 "Where I Am Now and What I Expect in the

Future" Group Support Meeting

On July 6, 2011, in the CASI "Romani" centre, held was a

group support meeting on the topic of "Where I Am Now and What

I Expect in the Future", with the objective of collecting the opinions

32

of participants on the activities in which they were involved up to

that point. The group support meeting was conceived in such a

manner that participants had the opportunity to express their

impressions anonymously in written form through the following

questions:

Where am I now?

What am I particularly satisfied with?

What would I change (now)?

What do I expect in the future/in the coming

period? 

The beneficiaries reacted very positively to the new manner

of work and honestly expressed their opinions on the educational

programs that they attended, as well as the activities in the

projects that they participated in. From the answers that the

beneficiaries provided to the asked questions it is perfectly clear

that they are inclined to employment and the satisfaction of future

employment. They are particularly proud of themselves because

they attended a course or were involved in actively looking for a

job. Also they are aware that the family too must provide support

when looking for a job and employment. They specified that their

motivation had changed and that they were optimistic with regards

to the future. They are extremely satisfied with the project and the

relationship towards them, which is the best indicator of the

success in the change to the position of beneficiaries over the time

that they spent in the project. From what was stated it can be

concluded that exceptionally important is the individual approach

to beneficiaries, as well as the group support of this type, in order

33

to hear the experiences, thoughts and the positions of the other

beneficiaries.

3.8 "Development of Communication and

Presentation Skills" Group Support Meeting

Group support meetings entitled "Development of

Communication and Presentation Skills" for two groups of project

beneficiaries were held from June 29 to July 1, and from July 13 to

July 15, in the CASI "Romani" centre. The objectives of the

meetings were for the project beneficiaries to evaluate their

communication skills, to understand the importance and benefits of

successful communication and, as the most important aspect, to

better understand themselves and other people. Considering the

primary goals, particular emphasis was placed on understanding

oneself, one's behaviour, relations towards oneself and

expectations that we set for ourselves.

The goals of the meetings were: lectures, notes,

encouraging discussions and problem solving, as well as a short

knowledge assessment with questions from the notes, which were

distributed to participants.

The forms of work were: lecture, group discussions

and exercises.

During the 24 hours of training in total, the purpose was to

explain to participants the basics of communication and personal

development. The participants actively participated in discussions

34

and exercises. Used during the lectures were adapted teaching

contents, which were developed during the teaching day

depending on the needs of the participants.

The interactive, stimulative approach proved to be excellent

in working with participants. The joint conversations and

discussions proved to be quite successful because the

beneficiaries could express their problems, as well as their views

on specific areas of communication and perceptions, as well as

presenting their experiences.

The group discussion on the good aspects of

participating in the Better Perspective for Roma Women in

the Labour Market project had as a goal to raise awareness

and to accept the best of what is on offer.

3.9 "Social Rights, Possibilities and Obligations"

Group Support Meeting

The "Social Rights, Possibilities and Obligations" group

support meeting was held on September 6, 7 and 8, 2011 at the

CASI "Romani" venue in Alfirevićeva 6.

The meeting was led by the social workers Sandra

Kolaković and Jadranka Golac Ćelap.

At the beginning of the meeting, the beneficiaries

introduced themselves and spoke about their experiences related

to the project and the job searching process. Also participating in

35

the project were other job seekers who were not involved in the

project and who also spoke about their experiences.

The social workers introduced themselves and began with

the presentation. They spoke about the rights defined by the

Constitution of the Republic of Croatia, the right to work and

freedom of work, the right to social security, the right to health care

and rights related to employment.

During the presentation, meeting participants spoke about

their experiences regarding health insurance, social rights and the

problems they face every day. At the end of the meeting, the social

workers emphasized the importance of work and employment,

which lead to a wide spectrum of social rights.

A discussion developed related to the act on social

assistance and social rights. The social workers familiarized

workshop participants with all of the changes to legislation and

provided them with their professional opinion. The meeting ended

with an evaluation.

Most of the beneficiaries in attendance deemed the

meeting as a useful and positive experience. They were especially

satisfied with the presentation of the new Social Welfare Act, and

they were made aware of their rights and obligations.

3.10 Training - Educating Beneficiaries of the

Project

3.10.1. Training - computer operator

36

Training for 10 participants began on April 4, and ended on

May 27, 2011. The training consisted of 4 seminars necessary for

basic computer literacy of participants: PC basics, MS Word, MS

Excel and the Internet. After listening to the theoretical part, which

consisted of 75 hours, the participants also participated in the

exercises and the preparation of a seminar paper, which lasted 16

hours. All participants successfully completed the final exam.

3.10.2. Training - assistant cook

Training began on May 9, and ended on June 30, 2011,

when the final exam was held. During that period, 356 course

hours were realized. The training program consisted of the

following content: basic cooking, getting to know the ingredients,

hygiene and safety at work, practical experience and vocational

training. The theoretical part of the course was held in Pučko

Otvoreno Učilište in Zagreb, while the practical training was held in

hotel kitchens and restaurants. During the practical training,

participants spent 19 days working in the position of assistant cook

together with the restaurant staff in which they were sent.

All participants took the final exam and all successfully

passed it. After conducting the practical training, three of the ten

participants were offered jobs.

3.10.3. Training - hotel maid

37

The hotel maid training group began with training on May

19, which was completed on September 16, 2011. In this period a

total of 500 hours was realized, of which 250 in theoretical and 250

in practical training. The training was started by 10 participants, of

which 7 successfully completed. The training program consisted of

the following content: safety at work, first aid and fire protection,

technology of vocation, hygiene and disinfection, Croatian in

business communication and business etiquette, foreign language.

The practical training was conducted in hotels.

The final exam was held on September 16, 2011. Seven

participants took the exam.

Most of the beneficiaries were satisfied with the offered

training programs that they attended, and consider that their new

vocations will help them become more competitive in the labour

market, and, thanks to this fact, that they will find a job.

38

4 Project Results and Significance

4.1 Achieved Results

During the project, 6 job coaches were trained for individual,

adapted work with Roma women.

Of the total number of Roma women involved in the project

(48), 27 of them successfully completed training for the

vocations - computer operator, assistant cook and hotel maid.

During the conducting of the project, over 500 individual

trainings with beneficiaries were held.

Twelve group support meetings were held on the topic of

developing communication and presentation skills, the

possibility of including Roma women in the labour market, as

well as social rights and obligations.

Anticipated as part of the project are visits to employers, to

whom the project and the beneficiaries were presented.

Conducted were about 60 visits to employers and over 200

telephone contacts, which resulted in the hiring of 13 Roma

women, thereby achieving the very purpose of the project.

39

4.2 CASI "Romani"

The goal of this Centre is to provide custom, individual

support to unemployed Roma women in preparing to join the world

of work and society. Employed in CASI "Romani" are educated job

coaches, who provide project beneficiaries and all other interested

women individual support in preparing for active independent job

searching and the development of a professional career.

The CASI "Romani" centre provides project beneficiaries

and all other interested women the possibility of daily informing of

vacancies, writing applications, CVs and sending them to

employers, as well as offers information related to resolving

everyday questions. Other activities of the centre include individual

informing and counselling services, group support meetings and

various workshops with the goal of training for independent job

searching and joining the labour market. CASI "Romani" is

furnished with computer equipment and office furniture.  Also, a

film has been shot and posters produced which promote the work

of the centre and the inclusion of Roma women in the labour

40

market. As part of the project, prepared was a guide for successful

job searching "How to Find a Job", which is available in the centre,

as well as on the centre’s website – http://casiromani.hzz.hr.

4.3 Promotion of Project

One of the more important activities as part of the project

was the promotion of project activities of the beneficiaries

themselves. For this reason, a press conference was held at which

the project and the target group, as well as all partners in the

project, were presented with the purpose of promoting the project.

Also held was the official opening of the CASI "Romani" centre,

which received good media coverage. Other promotional activities

included participation of members of the project team in shows

about national minorities on local television stations. Shown as

part of the minority programming on national television was a

report on the CASI "Romani" centre. In order to promote the

project as best as possible, a guide was also printed entitled "How

to Job Search?", which provides basic information about how to

inform yourself about job vacancies, how to prepare to job search,

to talk to the employer, as well as how to behave at the workplace.

A promotional flyer was also printed, which presented the basic

and specific goals of the project, as well as its values, anticipated

results and possible risks. A website promoting the CASI "Romani"

41

website, project activities and project partners was set up as part

of this project. Similarly, a promotional spot was also recorded,

which promotes the education of Roma women, as well as their

active inclusion in the labour market. As part of the accompanying

campaign, billboards were set up at high traffic areas in the city, in

order to raise awareness for the importance of including Roma

women in the labour market and society. A total of 10 billboards

were set up.

4.3.1. "How to Look for a Job" Workshop

4.3.2. Promotional Flyer

4.3.3. Website - http://casiromani.hzz.hr

4.3.4. Video Spot

The promotional video spot can be found at the following

address:

http://casiromani.hzz.hr/default.aspx?id=92

4.3.5. Billboards

Ten billboards were set up in the area of the City of Zagreb.

42

5 Events

5.1 Presentation of the "Women in the Labour

Market" Grant Scheme

The presentation of the "Women in the Labour Market"

grant scheme was held on November 16, 2010 in Hotel Dubrovnik

in Zagreb, and also presented were Grant Scheme Contracts. The

gathering was opened with a welcome speech by the director of

the Croatian Employment Service, Mrs. Ankica Paun Jarallah, who

stated that the "Women in the Labour Market" grant scheme was

developed by the Croatian Employment Service as part of the

Human Resources Development Operational Programme, along

with the financial support of the European Union under the

43

framework of Component IV of the Instrument for Pre-Accession

Assistance (IPA) with the objective of inclusion of hard to employ

women in the labour market. As part of the "Women in the Labour

Market" grant tender, 55 applications were received, while 18 of

the most successful were approved, who will assist in the process

of preparation and employment of women at the national and

regional level, the promotion of gender aware and goal oriented

measures of active employment policies.

As part of this grant scheme, the Zagreb Regional Office

was approved the project entitled "Better Perspective for Roma

Women in the Labour Market", whose goal is to empower and

integrate Roma women in the labour market and society at the

level of the City of Zagreb, and the opening of the CASI "Romani"

Centre for Advice, Support and Information. Partners of the project

are the City of Zagreb, as well as the Centre for Education,

Counselling and Research (CESI), and the "Bolja Budućnost"

association of Roma women. The project will last 12 months and

the total value is 157,206.98 EUR. The Zagreb Regional Office is

also the main partner in two more allocated projects: "Empowering

Unemployed Women for Active Participation in the Labour Market -

"Women Choose a New Chance", whose main partner is the CESI

association, while partners along with the Zagreb Regional Office

are Mojposao.net, the Institute for Labour Market Development, as

well as the City of Zagreb and the County of Zagreb. The target

group is long-term unemployed women, and the total value of the

project amounts to 118,789.58 EUR. The Zagreb County

Development Agency is the lead partner of the approved project

44

entitled "Certified Professional Nannies in the Zagreb County

Labour Market", in which the Zagreb Regional Office is a partner,

along with Pučko Otvoreno Učilište in Samobor, Velika Gorica and

Ivanić Grad, and Zagreb County. The total value of the project

amounts to 127,224.07 EUR, while the target group is unemployed

women over 40 years of age and unemployed single mothers.

Attending the official launch of the project were Jadranka

Kosor, Prime Minister of the Republic of Croatia, Paul Vandoren,

Head of the EU Delegation in the Republic of Croatia, and Minister

Đuro Popijač, Ministry of Economy, Labour and Entrepreneurship,

as well as heads of the Operative structure, county prefects,

mayors and all project lead partners.

5.2 Presentation of the "Better Perspective for Roma

Women in the Labour Market" Project

Ahead of the International Romani Day presented was the

"Better Perspective for Roma Women in the Labour Market"

project, which was granted to the Zagreb Regional Office as part of

the programme IPA Component IV - Human Resources

Development, "Women in the Labour Market" grant scheme.

45

Vesna Matijašević, head of the Zagreb Regional Office,

opened the press conference, emphasizing the importance of this

project and all other projects conducted by the Zagreb Regional

Office, and thanked partners for participating in this very

demanding, but useful project in many ways.

Attending the presentation of the project were partners and

associates of the project, as well as job coaches and beneficiaries

of the project, who articulated their first experiences of the project.

Head of the City Office for Social Protection and Disabled

Persons, Višnja Fortuna, expressed her satisfaction with the

progress of the project up to date and emphasized that the City of

Zagreb has provided and furnished the facilities of the CASI

"Romani" Centre for Advice, Support and Information, and that the

City of Zagreb will, even upon completion of the project, support

the developed model of work with marginalized groups of women

and enrich it with new services.

The Director of the Social Welfare Centre, Marija Pavić,

said that the inclusion of the Centre in the project is extremely

important, because in this manner progress will be made in the

cooperation between social workers and job coaches, which will

contribute to the quality of the service towards Roma women and

all other marginalized women.

Ramiza Memedi, Director of the "Bolja Budućnost"

association of Roma women in Croatia, highlighted that it was

46

important to support this type of project and to help young Roma

women to become involved in education.

Beneficiaries of the project Nataša Osmanović and Fikreta

Dedić presented their experiences and thanked the Zagreb

Regional Office for providing them the opportunity through the

project to acquire basic IT literacy and they hope that through the

project they will find employment.

Head of the project Marija Halić presented the project and

emphasized that the goal of the project was to develop a tailor-

made approach to assistance and support for unemployed Roma

women through IT literacy, training for first vocation and

independent job searching. As part of the project, 30 unemployed

Roma women from +Zagreb will take part in the IT course or the

vocational training for assistant cook, hotel maid, as well as

workshops and group support meetings with the goal of preparing

for independent job searching.

The head of the project highlighted that in question was a

group of women, mostly younger up to 30 years of age, with a low

level of education, that is, without completed elementary school

and without work experience, who were mostly beneficiaries of

social assistance.

She also stated the risks that could affect the project, such

as the lack of motivation of the unemployed Roma women, the

lack of interest of the public and of employers, as well as the lack

of vacancies in the market given the current situation.

47

Through the project there is a desire to increase the

competitiveness of Roma women in the labour market, as well as

to eliminate stereotypes, to raise interest and to sensitize the

public and employers towards employing Roma women and to

integrate them into society. A special aspect of the project is to

sensitize the public to including Roma women in the labour market

and society, and with this purpose a TV spot, billboards and the

website of the Centre will be produced.

5.3 Opening of CASI "Romani"

As part of the "Better Perspective for Roma Women in the

Labour Market" project, the Croatian Employment Service, Zagreb

Regional Office, in partnership with the City of Zagreb, the City

Office for Social Welfare and Disabled Persons, as well as other

partners in the project, established the CASI "Romani" Centre for

Advice, Support and Information in Zagreb, at the address

Alfirevićeva 6. The space and its renovation were ensured by the

City of Zagreb, while the office and IT equipment was purchased

with EU Funds. An associate of the project was the

Berufsförderungsinstitut from Austria, which donated the furniture

for the classroom in the Centre.

Taking place in CASI "Romani" will be project activities and

services will be provided to unemployed Roma women with the

goal of training them to search, independently and actively, for

employment and to join the labour market. Educated job coaches

will be employed in CASI "Romani", who will work individually with

beneficiaries of the project and all other interested women.

48

Besides providing individual professional support in preparing for

employment, the following services will be provided in the centre:

daily information about vacancies, writing applications, CVs, and

sending them to employers, gathering information and receiving

answers related to resolving everyday questions.

Attending the opening of CASI "Romani", in addition to the

project beneficiaries and their families, were employers,

representatives of the Government, city offices, local self-

government units and public institutions. The representative of the

Government Office for National Minorities Mr. Sc. Branko Sočanec

expressed his support of the project and emphasized that all

activities that are geared towards raising the competitiveness of

the Roma community in the labour market are of exceptional

importance and require the support of all stakeholders.

The Director of the Croatian Employment Service Ankica

Paun Jarallah emphasized at the opening that the project was

unique according to its structure and that it opens doors not only to

Roma women but also to other marginalized group for easier and

faster inclusion in education, strengthening competitiveness and

developing skills for independent inclusion in the labour market.

Mrs. Ramiza Memedi, partner in the project, commended all

aspects of the project and emphasized that more focus was

necessary on employers with the objective of more effective hiring

of Roma women.

CASI "Romani" was officially opened by the head of the

City Office for Social Welfare and Disabled Persons Mr. Sc. Višnja

49

Fortuna, who said that the opening of the Centre was only the

beginning of activities that the City of Zagreb plans on conducting

as part of the range of measures directed at developing the active

social policy of the City of Zagreb, and added that, through this

project, the Roma women were placed at the forefront and have

become subjects in creating their own future.

As part of the opening of the Centre, 10 Roma women who

completed the course for computer operator received a certificate

for their acquired vocation, which will be recorded in their

workbooks.

50

Annex 1 Survey of Roma Women

Anticipated through the project is the conducting of the

survey questionnaire whose aim is to examine the existing status

of unemployed Roma women in the City of Zagreb. As there are

no precise data or studies on the lives of unemployed Roma

women, their professional needs and desires, and planned within

the framework of the project are tailor-made programmes for their

preparation and education, and independent searching for

employment for unemployed Roma women, it is essential to collect

all of the necessary relevant data.

The objective of the survey of Roma women is to learn of

the existing circumstances in which unemployed Roma women live

in the City of Zagreb, to examine their needs (personal and

professional), as well as their expectations and readiness to

independently find work and employment.

The project team prepared a survey questionnaire in

cooperation with employment advisors, whose experience was,

given their efforts up to the present with unemployed Roma

women, of significant use. The content of the questionnaire is

structured to cover a wide range of topics and to encompass an

area of general data, family history, living circumstances, sources

of financing, educational status and needs, work experience,

organization of time, questioning interests, motivation for learning

51

and change, as well as responsibility for the existing situation. The

questionnaire contains 35 questions of the combined type: 12

open-type questions (34.3%), as well as 23 closed-type questions

(65.7%), of which 13 questions (37.1%) required additional

information or further explanation of their own or the selected

answer. The concept of combining questions types enabled the

collection of reliable and useful data, as well as information

relevant for the creation of an employment preparation programme

for unemployed Roma women.

The questionnaire provided respondents the opportunity to

explore a wide range of their needs, expectations and desires, and

in this manner to indirectly increase their motivation to actively

search for employment and a change to the existing state.

I. STUDY METHODOLOGY

The questionnaire was completed in the facilities of the

Croatian Employment Service, Zagreb Office, over the course of

three days in December 2010, daily in four time slots for a duration

of 2 hours respectively. The unemployed Roma women were

invited to participate in the survey by phone and invitations by

employment advisors, as well as by representatives of the

Croatian Association of Roma Women "Bolja Budućnost Žena

Romkinja" (Better Future for Roma Women), who referred the

Roma women with whom it worked. Invited in total to complete the

questionnaire were 220 unemployed Roma women, of which 110

women were invited twice, because for various reasons they had

not received the first invitation or were prevented from attending at

52

the set time. One hundred and fifty-two unemployed Roma

women, that is 69.1%, accepted the invitation.

The questionnaire was anonymous and headed by the

project coordinator, who, at the outset of the survey, presented to

respondents the objective and the purpose of the study, and

familiarized them with the methodology of completing the

questionnaire. The questionnaire was organized and took place in

the presence of the employment advisor and psychologist, who

provided respondents with specific assistance in filling out the

questionnaire with the objective of collecting data and information

that were as accurate and complete as possible.

Respondents filled out the questionnaire in the manner that

the head of the survey read the questions out loud to the group,

and then the respondents replied individually. About 30% of

respondents were semi-literate or illiterate, and were assisted in

completing the questionnaire (they completed the questionnaire

with the oral replies of the Roma women) by the survey leader, the

employment advisor and psychologist. The completing of the

questionnaire lasted on average 110 minutes. The Roma women

had a surprisingly positive approach to completing the

questionnaire and very often while completing had the need to

loudly comment on the questions and answers in the manner that

they spontaneously articulated their life stories.

II. RESULTS OF PROCESSING QUESTIONNAIRE

53

By means of the questionnaire, a significant number of data

and an extremely wide range of information were collected, which

offer the possibility of creating a realistic picture of Roma women.

The answers of the respondents were processed through

the following characteristics: general data on the respondents,

family structure, housing conditions, sources of income, interests

and desire to become involved in education, way of utilizing free

time and assessment of responsibility and seeking solutions for

their needs.

1 GENERAL DATA ON RESPONDENTS AND MARITAL STATUS

1.1 Overview of age of respondents

The collected answers to the question "How old are you?" are grouped into seven categories, with each encompassing a

period of 5 years.

Chart 1 Overview of age of respondents

Table 1 Overview of age of respondents

PERIOD/YEARS 15- 21- 27- 33- 39- 45- 51- Σ

54

20 26 32 38 44 50 56

NUMBER OF RESPONDENTS

27 28 24 28 22 19 4 152

% 17.7 18.4 15.8 18.4 14.4 12.5 2.7 100

In the group of Roma women surveyed, equally

represented are women from the age of 21 to 26, and from 33 to

38 years, with a share of 18.4 % (N=28), followed by young Roma

women of the age from 15 to 20 years with a share of 17.7% (N=

27). About 16% (N=24) are Roma women aged from 27 to 32

years of age, and a very low share of 3% (N= 4) are Roma women

aged above 51 years of age.

Compared with the entry into the records of the remaining

unemployed individuals, in the Roma population, and especially

considering Roma women, the share of those registered in the

records belonging t the younger-aged category is greater

compared to the other unemployed. The registration into the

records of unemployed individuals is more frequently the outcome

of not enrolling or dropping out of secondary school education or

early marriage

1.2 Question - "What brought you to Zagreb?"

With the question "What brought you to Zagreb?" an

attempt was made to learn from what background the respondents

came in order to assess to what extent they knew Zagreb, how

55

15-20 god.

21-26 god.

27-32 god.

33-38 god.

39-44 god.

45-50 god.

51-56 god.

05

1015202530 27 28

2428

2219

4

BROJ ISPITAN-ICA

skilled they were in finding their way in the city, which is relevant

for actively searching for employment. The question is of the semi-

open type with six reasons (I was born here, war circumstances,

search for work, improving health conditions, and marriage), and

the possibility of providing their own answer.

Most respondents, 65.1% (N=99), were born in Zagreb,

about 17.1% (N=26) of respondents moved as a result of

marriage, 12 respondents (7.9%) came to Zagreb in search of

work, three respondents respectively state that they came to

Zagreb due to war circumstances and the need for education,

while 9 respondents stated personal reasons: I came to Zagreb

with my parents, due to abuse I came to the shelter, my mother

was born here. Not one respondent stated coming to live in Zagreb

in order to receive health insurance coverage.

1.3 Overview of the marital status of respondents

At the question of marital status, respondents were

provided seven possible answers: married, not married,

cohabitation, divorced, separated from husband, widow, and single

mother. The "separated from husband" answer was not circled by

any respondents. The married respondents were asked to write

down at what age they got married.

Chart 2 Overview of the marital status of respondents

56

Among the surveyed Roma women predominant are married women at about 47.4% (N=72), which confirms the

importance of marriage for the Roma national minority. However,

an interest fact is that, among the respondents, 14.5% (N=22) live

in cohabitation, and about 10% (N=15) are single mothers. These

are not insignificant indicators; about 1/4 of respondents have

taken on an atypical way of living for the Roma community. Roma

women, otherwise, dedicated to the family, consciously or

unconsciously are becoming more independent.

In the Roma family, under the influence of outside factors,

obviously present are certain changes, but the question must be

raised on how Roma women are coping in their new role. Will the

new lifestyle additionally threaten them and draw them into even

greater poverty? What is the role of society and the civil sector in

their emancipation?

1.4 Overview of age of when respondents married

57

47%

24%

14%3%

1% 10%UDANA

NEUDANA

IZVANBRAČNA ZAJEDNICA

RAZVEDENA

UDOVICA

SAMOHRANA MAJKA

At the question of marital status, married respondents were

asked to provide at what age they were married, and the received

answers were grouped into four categories.

Table 2 Overview of age of when respondents married

PERIOD/YEARS NUMBER OF RESPONDENTS

%

14-15 11 13.9

16-17 22 27.8

18-24 42 53.2

25 AND OVER 4 5.1

TOTAL - married, widowed, divorced

79 100

Most respondents, 58% (N=46), married when they

reached the age of majority, of which 53.2% (N=42) of

respondents at the age from 18 to 24 years of age, and four after

25 years of age. A significant share of about 42% (N=33) of the

surveyed Roma women, married before turning 18, of which 11 of

the surveyed Roma women were between the ages of 14 and 15.

The figures show that predominant are Roma women who marry

after turning 18, which speaks in favour of the theory that there are

certain changes occurring in Roma families concerning the

position of women.

1.5 Question on the number of children that the respondents have

58

The question of the number of children is of the closed

type, while respondents who replied that they had children were

asked how many they had.

Table 3 Overview of number of children per respondent

NUMBER OF CHILDREN

1 2 3-4 5-6 7-9 OVER 10

TOTAL

NUMBER OF RESPONDENTS

19 24 43 15 12 4 117

PERCENTAGE

16.

2

21.0 36.7 12.8 10.3 3.4 100

In the target group predominant are 77% (N=117) of Roma

women who specified that they had children, while 23% (N=35) of

respondents did not have children. The replies of respondents on

the number of children were grouped into six categories:

In the group of respondents the most common are

respondent 36.7% (N=43) who have three or four children,

followed by those with two children about 21.0% (N=24), followed

by respondents with one child 16.2 % (N= 19), while about 27%

(N=31) have more than five children. One respondent has 12 and

another 18 children. Given that about 35% of respondents are

younger than 26 years of age, it is not surprising that a high share

of respondents, about 37%, had a smaller number of children, up

to two.

1.6 Overview of ages when respondents had their first child

59

At the open question of what age they had their first child,

the answers of the respondents were grouped into six categories.

Table 4 Overview of ages when respondents had their first child

PERIOD/YEARS 14-17

18-21

22-25

26-29

30-34

OVER 35

TOTAL

NUMBER OF RESPONDENTS

36 59 17 3 1 1 117

% 30.7 50.4 14.5 3.3 1.0 1.0 100

From the table, it is evident that about 91% (N=95) of

respondents had their first child under the age of 21, while 36, that

is, 31.7%, up to the age of 17. Among the respondents, the

youngest gave birth at the age of 14 and 15, which coincides with

entering into marriage (in the specified period 13.9% of

respondents married), most likely due to pregnancy. A small

number of respondents, about 5% (N=5), had their first child after

26 years of age. On the basis of these indicators, one can

undoubtedly conclude that the sample of surveyed Roma women

is representative because it confirms the results to date on

research on this topic. The received data indicate the need for

educating Roma women on planned pregnancy, which will be

attempted to be organized as part of this project through various

support group meetings.

60

2 OVERVIEW OF THE FAMILY STRUCTURE OF RESONDENTS

2.1 The question "How many family members do you have living in your household?" is of the open type with the sub-

question of how many of them are children. The received answers

were grouped into five categories shown in table 5.

Table 5 Overview of number of household members

NUMBER OF HOUSEHOLD MEMBERS

NUMBER OF RESPONDENTS

%

1- LIVES ALONE 1 0.7

2-4 42 27.6

5-6 50 32.9

7-9 40 26.3

10 AND OVER 19 12.5

TOTAL 152 100

Predominant among respondents are those living in

households consisting of 5 to 6 members (32.9% (N=50)), followed

by 27.6% (N=42) of respondents who specified that they live in

families with 2 to 4 members. Most respondents, about 72%, live in

households with 5 or more members. Of this 40 respondents

(26.3%) live in households of 7 to 9 members, and about 13% with

10 members or more. Per one respondent lives in households

numbering 15, 18, 20 or 25 members, while one respondent lives

alone.

2.2 The answers to the open question "How many children live in your family" were grouped into five categories.

Table 6 Overview of number of children per household

61

NUMBER OF CHILDREN

NUMBER OF RESPONDENTS

%

ONE 23 16.4

2 - 4 78 55.7

5 - 7 25 17.9

8-10 9 6.4

OVER 10 5 3.6

TOTAL 140 100

About 92% (N=140) of respondents specified that children

live with them in the household, of which about 83% (N=117) have

their own children, while living with the others live are the children

of brothers and sisters. About 8.0% (N=12) of respondents live in

a household without children.

The majority of the 78 respondents, that is 55.7%, live in

households with two to four children.

Most of respondents live in multi-member families with

several children.

2.3. Ninety-two respondents who have school children answered the question "Do your children attend school?".

The children of 81 respondents (88.0%) regularly attend school,

ten respondents, that is 10.9%, specified that their children did not

attend school, while one respondent replied that her child was

signed into school, but did not attend regularly. Although most

individuals of the Roma national minority live in modest conditions

that make access to education difficult, the received data seem

optimistic and point to positive changes in their understanding of

education and the need to educate their children.

62

3 HOUSING CONDITIONS OF RESPONDENTS

Low standard, irregular and modest incomes, as well as

well poor housing conditions, are obstacles for including Roma

women in education, society and the labour market. This survey

served to examine in what kind of housing the respondents live in,

what size and ownership.

3.1 The semi-open question "What is your housing space like?" offered four possible answer categories with the possibility

of providing your own answer.

Table 7 Type of housing in which the respondents live

TYPE OF SPACE

HOUSE FLAT SHACK TRAILER OTHER TOTAL

NUMBER OF RESPONDENTS

97 33 20 1 1 152

% 63.8 21.7 13.3 0.6 0.6 100

From the figures in the table, it is clear that most of the

63.8% (N=97) respondents live in a house or flat 21.7% (N=33). A

smaller number of surveyed Roma women (about 14%) live in

shacks, trailers or some other living space, but do not specify

where. From the received answers it is evident that respondents

were mostly residentially cared for, but the question of the quality

of the space they are living in imposes itself, which could be an

initiative for some other new study on the topic of housing

conditions and the quality of life of Roma women.

63

3.2 The closed question "What is the size of your living space?" provided four possible answers.

Table 8 Overview of the size of the living space of respondents

SPACE SIZE/ m² LESS THAN 10

BETWEEN 10-25

BETWEEN 25-50

OVER 50

TOTAL

NUMBER OF RESPONDENTS

8 30 47 67 152

% 5.3 19.7 31.0 44.1 100

Most respondents - 44.1% (N=67) live in a space that is

over 50 m², 47 respondents (31.0%) live in a space from 25 to

50m², living in a space from 10 to 25 m² are 30 respondents

(19.7%), while 8 respondents (5.3%) live in a space that has an

area of less than 10m². Given the size of the residential space and

the number of family members, it can be assumed that most

respondents live in extremely small and modest spaces.

3.3 The question who is the owner of the living space in which the respondents are living offered seven possible

categories, as well as the option of providing their own answer.

The categories are defined on the basis of information on housing

circumstances that employment advisors learned from Roma

women during individual consultations.

64

Table 9 Overview of ownership of living space

OWNERSHIP NUMBER OF RESPONDENTS

%

PARENTS 52 34.2

RESPONDENTS 9 5.9

SPOUSE 12 7.9

JOINT (spouses) 13 8.6

CITY OF ZAGREB 34 22.4

STATE - REP. OF CROATIA 4 2.6

RENTED 24 15.8

OTHER 4 2.6

TOTAL 152 100

The data indicate that most respondents, 34.2% (N=52),

live in a space that is owned by the parents, which points to the

theory that they live in a joint household with their parents. A

significant number of respondents, 34 (22.4%), live in spaces of

the City of Zagreb or rented spaces (15.0%). A very interesting

figure is the one that indicates that there is a small difference

concerning the question of ownership between the respondents

5.9% (N=9) and their spouses 7.9% (N=12). Altogether 15%

(N=22) of respondents live in a space that is jointly owned by the

respondent and spouse, while 24 (15.8 %) of respondents live in a

rented space. Four of the respondents specified that the owner of

their living space was a third person: uncle, bank, abandoned

house.

4 SOURCES OF SUBSISTENCE

65

At the question of how they gain their subsistence, five

answers were provided, which respondents had to rank according

to the income they receive from each individual category. During

the survey it was noticed that respondents were unable to rank

their answers related to income, therefore, additional instructions

were given for them to select the answer that provided information

on the largest amount of income that they receive.

4.1 How do you acquire means for subsistence?

Table 10 Overview of answer to question "How do you acquire means for subsistence"?

METHOD OF ACQUIRING MEANS OF SUBSISTENCE

NUMBER OF RESPONDENTS

%

SOCIAL ASSISTANCE 87 57.2

HUSBAND SUPPORTS ME 22 14.5

WORK FROM TIME TO TIME 21 13.8

COLLECT SCRAP 15 9.7

BEG 1 1.0

OTHER (parents, father, alimony) 6 3.9

TOTAL 152 100

Chart 3 Overview of answer to question "How do you acquire means for subsistence"?

For most respondents, 57.2% (N= 87), the fundamental

means of subsistence is social assistance, 14.5% (N=22) of

respondents are supported by their husbands, 13.8% (N=21) of

respondents work from time to time, 15 respondents collect scrap,

66

while 3.9% (N=6) of respondents state that they were supported by

their parents, father only or live off alimony.

About 1/4 of respondents supported themselves with

temporary work or by collecting scrap, which indicates a certain

potential and the need to provide professional support to

respondents in finding work and realizing employment.

4.2 "Are you a beneficiary of social welfare and how much do you receive"?

In the previous question, 57.2% of respondents stated that

they live off social welfare.

At the question of whether they were the direct

beneficiaries of social welfare, positive replies were provided by

76.7% (N=103) of respondents. Of the total of 103 respondents-

beneficiaries of social welfare, for 87 respondents (84.5%) this is a

main source of income. In the question respondents were asked to

write down the amount of financial assistance they received. The

collected figures on amounts of social welfare were grouped into 5

categories. The monthly amount of social welfare that respondents

receive ranges from 245.00 HRK to 6,000.00 HRK, depending on

67

57%

14%

14% 10%1% 4% socijalna pomoć

uzdržava me muž

povremeno radim

skupljam otpad

prošnja

nešto drugo

the number of family members. The lowest amount of social

welfare of 245.00 HRK and the largest amount of 6,000.00 HRK

were received by one respondent respectively.

Table 11 Overview of amount of financial assistance

AMOUNT IN HRK 245-1000

1001-2000

2001-3000

3001-4000

4001-6000

TOTAL

NUMBER OF RESPONDENTS

26 38 22 13 4 103

% 25.2 37.0 21.4 12.6 3.9 100

Most respondents receive social welfare in the amount from

1,001.00 HRK to 2,000.00 HRK, one fourth of respondents from

245.00 HRK to 1,000.00 HRK, while 22 (21.4%) of respondents

state that they receive social welfare in the amount from 2,001.00

HRK to 3,000.00 HRK. About 17% of respondents receive social

welfare above 3,000.00 HRK. Given the costs of living and number

of members in the household, the stated amounts of social

assistance are certainly not sufficient for the daily needs of a

family, which points to the fact that the respondents are forced to

collect means for subsistence working illegally, which they

honestly stated in the question of how they acquired means for

subsistence.

5. EDUCATION AND WORK EXPERIENCE OF RESPONDENTS

The level of education also determines and affects the

professional development of individuals. Given that planned as

part of the project is raising the IT literacy and training of

68

beneficiaries for their first occupation, it is necessary to determine

their educational status, and on the basis of received data to

prepare anticipated educational activities.

5.1 Overview of educational level of respondents

At the question of acquired qualifications, respondents were

offered answers with indicated levels of qualifications. The

answers received are presented in Table 12.

Table 12 Overview of educational level of respondents

LEVEL OF EDUCATION NUMBER OF RESPONDENTS

%

INCOMPLETED PRIMARY SCHOOL

100 65.8

COMPLETED PRIMARY SCHOOL 38 25.0

INCOMPLETED SECONDARY SCHOOL

7 4.6

COMPLETED 3-year secondary 4 2.6

COMPLETED 4-year secondary 2 1.3

COMPLETED 2-year post-secondary or university

1 0.7

TOTAL 152 100

In general, the Roma national minority population has a

level of education that is quite low, which is also confirmed by the

surveyed sample of Roma women. Most respondents, 65.8%

(N=100), have not completed primary school, 1/4 have completed

primary school, seven surveyed Roma women (4.6%) started, but

have not completed secondary school, only 4 have completed

69

three-year school, two four-year secondary school and one

completed two-year post secondary school.

Chart 4 Overview of educational level of respondents

From the presented figures, it is evident that, when defining

the training programme, there will be certain difficulties and very

limited possibilities given that most potential beneficiaries do not

satisfy the formal conditions or do not have the pre-knowledge

necessary for the occupations that are attractive to them.

5.2 Overview of foreign language knowledge of respondents

Knowledge of a foreign language when searching for

employment is today more or less necessary for all jobs. For this

reason we were interested in the level of foreign language

knowledge of unemployed Roma women. Namely, experience tells

us that a certain number of Roma women, especially of a younger

age, communicate in a foreign language in a satisfactory manner,

70

-101030507090

110130150

100

38

7 4 2 1

nezavršena OŠzavršena OŠnezavršena SŠzavršena 3-godišnja SŠzavršena 4-godišnja SŠzavršena VŠS ili VSS

most often in German or Italian, which is confirmed by the figures

received from this survey.

The question of foreign language knowledge is structured

into three levels. The respondents were asked whether they speak

a foreign language and which ones, and they were offered

answers related to the level at which they use the foreign

language: I know how to communicate (speak); I know how to read

and write; I know how to communicate, read and write; I can

communicate.

According to self-assessment of the respondents, 40.1%

(N=61) of respondents stated that they speak a foreign language,

while 59.9% of respondents (N=91) do not.

Of the 61 respondents in total who stated that they spoke a

foreign language, 21 stated that they speak English, 23 German,

and 17 Italian. Six respondents stated that they spoke 2 foreign

languages. Besides the stated languages, also spoken are:

Spanish, French, Albanian or Macedonian. Not one respondent

stated speaking the Roma language, which would indicate that

they consider it their mother tongue or that they do not know it.

The respondents had to assess for themselves their level of

foreign language knowledge: I can communicate (speak); I know

how to read and write; I know how to communicate, read and write,

as well as I can communicate. Most respondents, 52.4% (N=32),

stated that they could communicate in the foreign language, 14

respondents (22.9%) read, write and communicate, 10

71

respondents (16.4%) replied that they know how to communicate,

while 5 (8.2%) of respondents read and write. If the self-

assessment of the respondents concerning foreign language

knowledge is objective, they have good references for employment

in jobs in the catering and tourism activities to which they are

inclined.

6 OVERVIEW OF WORK EXPERIENCE OF RESPONDENTS

Chart 5 Overview of work experience of respondents

As was presumed, a significant number, 104 respondents

(68.4%), do not have any work experience, 21 respondents

(13.8%) have up to 1 year of work experience, 7 of them (4.6%)

have from 1 to 3 years of work experience, 6 respondents have

from 4 to 6 and from 7 to 9 years of work experience, while eight

(5.3%) respondents have 10 or more years of experience. One

respondent has 17 years, and two 15 years of work experience.

The lack of work experience is, for all unemployed in

general, a huge obstacle for joining the labour market, and

especially for individuals with a low level of education, which is

72

bez radnog

iskustva

do 1 god. 1-3 god. 4-6 god 7-9 god. više od 9 god.

020406080

100120 104

216 5 5 11

broj osoba

characterized by this target group. Work experience is one of the

factors of competitiveness of the work force, and very often when

selecting candidates the decisive factor.

All of the respondents with work experience, 48 of them,

state that this is recorded in their work book, which is an important

fact when submitting a pension request. Respondents who do not

have work experience, in the question of whether their years of

work were entered into their work book state the reasons why they

could not work, and the reasons were: I was not provided the

opportunity to work, I take care of the children and family,

pregnancy, illness, illiteracy, while 9.2 % (N=14) of respondents

stated that their employer did not register them, that is, they

worked illegally. To the question of whether they had work

experience these respondents responded that they did not.

Most respondents are, according to occupation, house

wives, 32.2% (N=49), and cleaning ladies, about 21.1% (N=32),

followed by the occupations: saleswoman, hair dresser, assistant

cook, worker on the production line, baker, sales specialist,

catering establishment owner, agricultural technician, waitress,

pedicurist, hairdresser, pre-school children's teacher.

Respondents who have work experience, 48 of them and

14 respondents who worked illegally, mostly worked in the

following occupations: cleaning woman, 45.2% (N=28),

saleswoman, 11.2% (N=7), production line worker, 16.1%(N=10),

followed by activities related to assistant cook, waitress,

73

hairdresser, computer work, collecting secondary raw materials,

work in laundry facilities, babysitting and supervising play areas.

7 UNEMPLOYMENT STATUS

The duration of unemployment significantly affects the

competitiveness and self-confidence of individuals, therefore,

information about how long respondents have been unemployed is

a key indicator of their potential for finding work and employment.

A closed question was posed on the duration of

unemployment with five possible answers.

Table 13 Overview of duration of unemployment for respondents

DURATION OF UNEMPLOYMENT / MONTHS-YEARS

NUMBER OF RESPONDENTS

%

UNDER 3 MONTHS 12 7.9

FROM 3 TO 12 MONTHS 4 2.6

FROM 1 TO 3 YEARS 15 9.9

FROM 3 TO 5 YEARS 11 7.2

OVER 5 110 72.4

TOTAL 152 100

From the figures it is clear that about 89% of respondents

have been unemployed for over a year, of which 110 respondents

(72%) have been "waiting" for more than five years. The figures

indicate that in question is a specific, extremely challenging group

of unemployed women, who in their approach to the labour market

74

need intense professional support, and an employment

preparation programme that is specifically targeted and adapted to

their needs.

Chart 6 Overview of duration of unemployment for respondents

8 ATTITUDE OF RESPONDENTS TOWARD FINDING WORK

With the objective of investigating the interest and

engagement of respondents toward actively searching for

employment, the respondents were asked questions by which an

attempt was made to uncover their readiness to search for work

and to undertake activities with the objective of establishing

contact with employers.

75

< od 3 mj.3 do12 mj.

1-3 god.> od 3 god.> od 5 god.

0 20 40 60 80 100 120

124

1511

110

They were asked whether they were actively searching for

work, whether they have a CV prepared, how many job openings

did they apply for in the past six months, how many employers

have they visited in the last three months.

Chart 7

Only 56 respondents (36.8%) stated that they were actively

searching for a job, while 96 respondents (63.2%) replied that they

were not actively looking for a job, and only 32 respondents

(21.0%) had a prepared CV.

8.1

Table 14 Overview of the number of candidates - vacancies to which respondents applied in the past 6 months

NUMBER OF JOB OPENINGS - 74

0 1 2 3 4 10 TOTAL

NUMBER OF RESPONDENTS

125 8 6 6 4 2 151

% 82.2 5.2 3.9 3.9 2.6 1.3 100

76

37%

63%

traži aktivno posao

ne traži aktivno posao

In the past six months respondents applied in total to 74 job

openings, which amounts to 12 job openings per month or on

average 0.5 applications per respondent in the past six months.

In the examined period, 82.2% (N=125) of respondents did

not apply to any job openings. In the period under examination

about 5.2% (N=8) of respondents applied to 1 job opening, six

respondents each (3.9%) sent their CVs to 2 or 3 job openings,

and 2.6% (N=4) of respondents to 4 job openings. Two

respondents (1.3%) sent their CVs to 10 job openings, that is, on

average 3.3 applications monthly, which is in line with the number

of applications to which the average unemployed person applies.

One respondent did not answer the question.

The figures point to the lack of interest and passivity of

respondents towards looking for a job. The respondents are

unprepared and do not know how to successfully look for a job,

therefore, they need more intense support in the preparation for

active job searching.

8.2

Table 15 Overview of the number of employers with whom the respondents have established contact (visited) in the past 3 months with the objective of finding a job

NUMBER OF EMPLOYERS

0 1 BETWEEN 3 and 5

OVER 5 TOTAL

NUMBER OF RESPONDENTS

101 17 22 12 152

% 66.3 11.3 14.5 7.9 100

77

Most respondents, 66.3% (N=101), did not contact - visit

any employers in the past three months, between 3 and 5

employers in the period under examination were visited by 14.5%

(N=22) of respondents, 11.3% (N=17) of respondents stated that

they had visited one employer, while 7.9% (N=12) of respondents

visited more than 5 employers.

If the received answers in the presented two methods of

looking for work are compared (applying for a job and visiting

employers), it is evident that unemployed Roma women in large

part (about 34%) are prepared to contact the employer directly

when looking for work compared to sending their offer to job

openings (about 18%).

There are objective reasons for practicing this approach,

and these are: low literacy level of the Roma women,

underdeveloped habits for written communication, inaccessibility of

computer and failure to adjust to modern communication, which is

partly conditioned by the low level of education and poor living

standards.

From the presented figures it can be seen that the

respondents have not developed the habits and skills to

independently look for work.

9 FREE TIME

Free time may be defined as space-time in which people

engage in activities of their choice. Free time defined in this

manner is time that adults have at their disposal after working

78

hours. There are various ways of spending free time: time to rest,

for recreation, personal development and satisfaction. Free time

implies fulfilling personal wishes, needs and is intended for

personal development.

As the respondents are unemployed individuals, it is

presumed that they have a great deal of free time, therefore, an

attempt was made to investigate how they perceive the concept of

free time and how they use it.

9.1 The answers of the respondents to the open question - "How much free time do you have daily?"- were grouped into six categories.

Table 16 Overview of answers about the number of hours of free time for respondents

NUMBER OF HOURS

0 up to 1

2-4 5-7 8-10 > 12 TOTAL

NUMBER OF RESPONDENTS

37 35 53 13 2 12 152

PERCENTAGE 24.3 23.0 34.9 8.6 1.3 7.9 100

Most of the respondents 24.3 % (N=37) stated that they

had no free time, 23.0% (N=35) had up to one hour per day.

34.9% (N=53) of respondents have between 2 and 4 hours of free

time, 8.6% (N=13) of respondents have from 5 to 7 hours of free

time, while 7.9% (N=12) of respondents stated that they have

more than 12 hours. Two respondents stated that they have

between 8 and 10 hours of free time daily. It would be useful to

79

examine the reason why about 1/4 of respondents do not have any

free time and how about 18% of respondents spend their free time

who stated that they had over 5 hours of free time daily.

The collected answers confirm theories that Roma women

are fully dedicated to the members of their families and only in very

rare cases think about themselves and their needs.

9.2 The answers of respondents to the question of how they spend their free time are presented in Table 17

Table 17

FREE TIME CONTENT NUMBER OF RESPONDENTS

%

I WATCH TELEVISION 37 32.2

I TAKE CARE OF MY CHILDREN 24 21.0

I DO HOUSEWORK 22 19.1

I HAVE COFFEE WITH FRIENDS 17 14.7

I TAKE CARE OF MY

GRANDCHILDREN

5 4.3

I AM LEARNING TO READ AND WRITE 4 3.5

I SELL ILLEGALLY 3 2.5

I LISTEN TO MUSIC 1 0.9

I KNIT 1 0.9

COLLECT SCRAP 1 0.9

TOTAL 115 100

How respondents spend their free time was examined by

means of open questions, while the received answers were

grouped into 10 categories. One hundred and fifteen respondents

80

answered the questions, of which 44.4% in their free time did

housework, took care of their children or their grandchildren. The

presented answers in Table 17 show that most respondents do not

have free time that is organized and planned in terms of content.

They spend their free time carrying out everyday tasks or watching

television and having coffee with friends. A smaller number, 6

respondents, spend their free time in an organized manner and

usefully (knit, read, listen to music).

On the basis of the received data, it can be concluded that

most respondents do not conceive their free time as time that is

available to them for their own inclinations, interests and desires.

Respondents who state that they have free time, use it in a

manner that is unplanned and unorganized. The received answers

would indicate the need to educate respondents about how to

conceive and organize the spending of free time in a quality

manner.

Through the project, respondents will become involved in

educational activities, therefore, it is essential to learn of their

relation toward written materials, because during training they will

be in a situation to learn teaching matter through written materials.

9.3 To the question of "When was the last time you read something - newspaper, magazine, when helping your children do their homework, or book?" three answers were

available; I read regularly, I do not read, and I read from time to

time. (up to 4 times a month).

81

Table 18 Overview of respondent answers about how much they read

CATEGORY/I READ NUMBER OF RESPONDENTS

%

REGULARLY - every day 73 48.0

FROM TIME TO TIME - at least 4 times monthly

41 27.0

I DO NOT READ 38 25.0

TOTAL 152 100

Most respondents, 48.0% (N=72), stated that they read

regularly, while ¼ of respondents (N=38) read from time to time

(up to 4 times monthly) whether newspapers and books, or while

helping their children in doing their homework. However, a

significant number, 27.0% (N=41), stated that they do not read at

all. The presented figures are not optimistic in the sense of the

potential of the respondents for acquiring new knowledge, to which

special attention should be given when creating and selecting the

training programme.

10 EXPERIENCE AND INTERESTS OF RESPONDENTS FOR INCLUSION IN EDUCATIONAL ACTIVITIES

Experiences to date of respondents concerning education,

as well as the assessment of their interests and motivation for

inclusion in educational activities are important indicators for the

creation of tailor-made employment preparation programmes.

10.1 Have you attended any additional courses up to date?

82

Most respondents, 132 (86.8%), stated that they had not attended any additional courses up to date, while 13.2%

(N=20) of respondents attended certain courses.

In Table no. 19, the number of respondents and the

educational activities that they attended are presented.

Table 19 Overview of educational activities in which the respondents were involved

PROGRAMME NAME NUMBER OF RESPONDENTS

%

COMPUTER COURSE 4 20.0%

HAIRDRESSER 4 20.0%

PRIMARY SCHOOL 4 20.0%

TRADE SCHOOL - 1 year 2 10.0%

ASSISTANT COOK 2 10.0%

OFFICE SECRETARY 1 5.0%

READING COURSE 1 5.0%

JOB SEARCHING WORKSHOP 2 10.0%

TOTAL 20 100

From the data it is evident that the respondents were most

often involved in courses and training for simple occupations, for a

duration of up to 150 hours, and in line with these data, as part of

the project it is necessary to recommend similar programmes.

10.2 Readiness of respondents for inclusion in education

83

At the question of readiness for inclusion in education -

courses, more than half of the respondents 53.9% (N= 82) stated

that they were not interested. As the reason for their lack of

interest and of readiness most often they stated: I need to take of

the children, I have a lot of work around the house, illness, I am a

single mother, I am too old to learn, I do not think that education

will help me find a job. About 46% (N=70) of respondents stated

that they were ready for inclusion in education.

10.3 At the question of how ready they were to learn with the objective of acquiring an occupation, most

respondents, 55.9% (N=85), answered affirmatively. A significant

share, 44.0 % (N=67) of respondents were not interested to learn

and acquire an occupation.

The received answers would point to the well-known fact

that the Roma population is not especially interested in education

and that additional efforts are required to encourage and motivate

them to become involved in schooling.

The respondents who were ready for training had the

possibility of stating what educational programmes they wanted to

become involved in, which 60 respondents indicated (39,5%). Ten

respondents did not know what occupation they wanted to acquire,

but were interested in schooling.

10.4 Overview of occupations that respondents would like to

acquire

84

Table 20 Overview of occupations that respondents would like to acquire

OCCUPATION NUMBER OF RESPONDENTS

%

COOK 12 17.1

MAID / CLEANING LADY 9 12.8

SALESWOMAN 7 10.0

HAIRDRESSER 7 10.0

OFFICE SECRETARY 6 8.6

COMPUTER COURSE 5 7.1

ELEMENTARY SCHOOL 3 4.3

MAKE-UP ARTIST 2 2.9

NAIL APPLICATION / BEAUTICIAN 2 2.9

PEDICURIST / MANICURIST 2 2.9

STYLIST / DESIGNER / SEAMSTRESS 2 2.9

WAITRESS, TRAFFIC SCHOOL,

CHILDCARE WORKER

3 4.3

I DO NOT KNOW 10 14.3

TOTAL 70 100

From the figures it is evident that respondents show

interest for acquiring formal qualifications for an occupation in

which they have been working up till now. However, given the

existing educational status of respondents (most without

completed primary school), it will be difficult to satisfy their

professional expectations. Therefore, at project workshops it is

necessary to additionally raise awareness of respondents and to

define the real life and professional objectives.

85

The answers of respondents to the open question "In your opinion what knowledge and skills would help you find work easier?" are presented in Table no. 22.

Table 21 Recommendations of respondents on the necessary knowledge and skills to help them have an easier time finding

RECOMMENDATIONS NUMBER OF RESPONDENTS

%

COMPLETED PRIMARY

SCHOOL

72 47.4

COMPLETED A COURSE -

course type not specified

25 16.4

SPECIFIC KNOWLEDGE

(cooking, work at the cash desk or

computer, foreign language)

11 7.2

WORK EXPERIENCE – at jobs

involving cleaning, sales,

haircutting???

10 6.6

RECOMMENDATION OR

"CONNECTION"

4 2.6

DID NOT ANSWER 11 7.2

DOES NOT KNOW what would

help them

19 12.5

TOTAL 152 100

Most respondents, 77.6% (N=118), considered that

additional knowledge or work experience would ease finding work

and employment.

About 47.7% (N=72) of respondents stated that it would be

easier to find employment if they had completed school, 25

86

respondents (16.4%) considered that it would be easier to find

employment if they had completed some course or acquired

additional specific knowledge 7.2% (N=11) such as: cooking skills,

work at the cash desk, computer work, foreign language

knowledge. A smaller number of respondents, 6.6% (N=10),

considers work experience on tasks of cleaning, sales or

hairdressing favourable circumstances when seeking employment.

Four respondents stated that you need a good connection, to

"bribe" someone or to seek a recommendation for a good job.

Some respondents, 12.5% (N=19), do not know what knowledge

and skills could help them find employment easier, while 7.2%

(N=11) of respondents did not answer the question.

At the open question "Write some of your positive traits?"

Respondents mostly stated that they were hardworking

50.0% (N=76), good mothers and wives 15.1% (N=23). Of the

other traits, they stated that they were smart, intelligent 10.5%

(N=16) and communicative 9.9% (N=15). Less often they stated

that they are good and honest, nice, caring, patient, meticulous,

tidy, accurate, quick, determined, good friends, honest, open,

ambitious.

On the basis of received answers in this and previous

questions, it is evident that the respondents clearly articulated their

needs and assessed their traits, which shows that they know

themselves, are self-aware and they form the impression of a

87

target group that has potential for training for independently finding

employment.

11 EXPECTATIONS OF RESPONDENTS

To the question of from whom they expect help in resolving

their problems, respondents were offered seven answers and were

given the possibility of providing their own answers. Respondents

had the possibility of selecting more than one answer.

11.1 Overview of answers from whom the respondents expected assistance in resolving their problems

Table 22 Overview of answers from whom the respondents expected assistance in resolving their problems

ENTITIES from whom assistance was expected

NUMBER OF RESPONDENTS

%

City of Zagreb 100 66.0

Croatian Employment Service 98 64.5

Social Welfare Centre 96 63.1

State 83 54.6

Family 15 10.0

Friends 0 0

Roma associations 56 36.8

Other 0 0

Respondents most often state the City of Zagreb, 66.0%

(N=100), from which they expect solutions to their problems,

followed by the Croatian Employment Service, 64.5% (N=98) of

respondents, the Centre for Social Care, 63.1% (N=96) of

88

respondents, as well as the state, 54.6% (N=83) of respondents.

Only 15 respondents expect assistance in resolving their every day

difficulties from their family, while not one respondent believes in

asking for help from friends. A significantly high percentage of

respondents, 36.8% (N=56), expect possible assistance for their

personal problems from Roma associations, which speaks on their

part of the high level of confidence in and positive perception of

Roma associations. A small number of respondents expects help

from family, none from friends, which leads to the presumption that

they are all in a similar situation from where they cannot escape

without the assistance and support of society, municipal and state

institutions, because answers most often are related to resolving

housing issues and improving living conditions. It is not surprising

that the City of Zagreb is mentioned most often. In the past

decade, through the social policy measures of the City of Zagreb

significant financial means were directed towards improving the

quality of life of the most vulnerable citizens, to which the Roma

national minority belongs.

Not one respondent provided a suggestion or showed an

active approach in resolving their problems.

To the open question "What are you not satisfied with?"

the respondents provided the following reasons:

Table 23 Overview of what you are not satisfied with

ANSWERS TO WHAT THEY ARE NOT SATISFIED WITH

NUMBER OF RESPONDENTS

%

89

FINANCIAL SITUATION 54 35.5

POOR LIVING CONDITIONS 47 30.9

BEING UNEMPLOYED 29 19.1

DISCRIMINATION EXPERIENCED AS A ROMA

13 8.5

NOT COMPLETING SCHOOLING

5 3.3

EMPLOYERS 2 1.4

MARRIAGE 2 1.4

TOTAL 152 100

Respondents for the most part state that they are not satisfied with their financial situation (social welfare is too low), 35.5% (N=54), and poor living conditions, 30.9% (N=47) (inadequate living space, poor conditions), followed by unemployment, 19.1% (N=29), and discrimination toward individuals of the Roma national minority, 8.5% (N=13). A small number is not satisfied with employers (N=2), marriage (N=2) and also for not having completed schooling (N=5).

The dissatisfaction of respondents is concentrated on material status and living conditions, which is understandable. Despite the fact that, concerning living space, all respondents in a certain manner had settled their living space needs, it is obvious that the space they were living in is inadequate, it is assumed, without adequate sanitary facilities, heating and water.

A certain number of respondents expressed concerns related to their position and discrimination of the Roma national minority in society. About 3% (N=5) of respondents were dissatisfied because they had not completed their schooling.

90

According to received answers, the dissatisfaction of

respondents could be grouped into five categories: low and

irregular income, inadequate living space, unemployment, lack of

education and presence of discrimination of the Roma national

minority.

The specified categories provide a wide range of

possibilities for new project ideas, and, through this project, an

attempt will be made to open and to define a proposal for

strengthening the involvement of Roma women on the labour

market.

The answers of respondents to the open question "What would you change about yourself with the objective of improving quality of life?" are presented in Table 24.

SUGGESTIONS FOR CHANGES NUMBER OF RESPONDENTS

%

I WOULD COMPLETE MY

SCHOOLING

29 19.1

I WOULD GET A JOB 29 19.1

BETTER LIVING CONDITIONS 23 15.1

I WOULD TAKE A COURSE 9 5.9

I WOULD PROVIDE A BETTER

FUTURE FOR MY CHILDREN

8 5.3

I WOULD CHANGE FOR THE

BETTER THE IMAGE OF ROMA IN

SOCIETY

8 5.3

I WOULD HAVE HAD LESS

CHILDREN

7 4.6

I WOULD NOT GET MARRIED TOO 6 3.9

91

YOUNG

OTHER PARENTS 6 3.9

WORK LESS IN THE HOUSE 5 3.3

I WOULD CHANGE EVERYTHING 4 2.6

I AM TOO OLD FOR CHANGES 1 0.7

NOTHING CAN BE CHANGED 17 11.2

TOTAL 152

To the question "What would you change about yourself in order to improve your quality of life" the respondents

provided diverse answers. They clearly defined areas in which

they would attempt changes. They clearly defined areas where

they would make changes. They would introduce changes in the

areas of: education - getting an education, solving the questions of

unemployment - employment, improving living conditions,

changing the position of Roma in society and changes in personal

development (giving birth later in life and less children, less

household obligations).

An equal number of respondents, 19.1% (N=29), considers

that employment and completed schooling, as well as better

housing conditions, 15.1%, would improve quality of life. The

respondents stated that the completion of a course, the possibility

of providing their children a better future, a more positive image of

Roma in society, giving birth to fewer children, working less at

home, other parents, would have significantly contributed to

improving their quality of life. A smaller number of respondents,

11.2% (N=17), considers that nothing can improve their quality of

life. One respondent stated that she was too old for changes.

92

The respondents were quite objective, most were aware of

the fact that they were the drivers of changes in education and

employment, which provides a strong impetus to the leader and

partners in this project to undertake all possible activities with the

objective of creating a setting for the building of better and high

quality living conditions for Roma women.

Respondents had the possibility of providing their own

suggestion to the open question of from whom they expect help

when looking for employment.

The received answers were grouped into 10 categories and

are presented in table 21.

11.2 Overview of entities/factors from which respondents expect help when looking for employment

Table 21 Overview of entities/factors from which respondents expect help when looking for employment

ENTITY/FACTOR NUMBER OF RESPONDENTS

%

CROATIAN EMPLOYMENT SERVICE 104 68.5

STATE 16 10.6

ROMA ASSOCIATIONS 7 4.7

INDEPENDENTLY LOOK FOR JOB 4 2.6

EMPLOYERS 4 2.6

FRIENDS 4 2.6

JOB ADS 4 2.6

MAYOR 4 2.6

BRIBE - pay someone to hire me 2 1.3

93

NO ONE 3 1.9

TOTAL 152 100

Most respondents, 68.4% (N=104), consider that the

Croatian Employment Service must provide assistance when

looking for employment or the state, 10.5% (N=16). As potential

supporting entities when seeking employment, respondents

identified: Roma associations, employers, friends and the mayor.

About 5.2% of respondents had an active approach toward finding

a job and stated that they would find one on their own or through

job ads. A smaller number of respondents, 3.2% (N= 5), looks at

their employment question with a negative attitude, not expecting

help from anyone and believe that, in order to become employed,

they have to pay someone - to "bribe" someone as they stated.

On the basis of the presented answers, it can be concluded

that respondents recognize the role of the Croatian Employment

Service and have a certain level of confidence in it. This is a good

foundation for a project whose goal is to develop a new, adapted

model for preparing Roma women for employment, where Roma

women will take on the role of subjects in the realization of their

needs.

CONCLUSION

The set out objective was reached with this study. The

received data clearly depict the unemployed Roma women, their

needs, expectations, as well as the possibilities for independently

searching for work and joining the labour market.

94

According to the surveyed sample, the target group of

potential beneficiaries of the project consists of married Roma

women 47.4% from 15 to 32 years of age 51.9% born and raised

in Zagreb 65.1%.

Most respondents, about 58%, were married after reaching

the age of majority, but a significant number also before reaching

age of majority 41.7%.

1/4 of respondents live in cohabitation arrangements or are

single mothers, which points to certain changes present in the

Roma community. Dedicated to the family, Roma women have,

consciously or unconsciously, taken on an atypical lifestyle for the

Roma community, which raises the question as to the reasons for

taking on this new lifestyle, which is more demanding and requires

even greater responsibility from the woman. How much this new

way of life will improve or further threaten the position of Roma

women is a topic for future studies.

In the group of respondents, predominant are women with

children (76.9%). Among them the most frequent are women with

three or four children (36.7%). One respondent has 12 and another

18 children. Given that about 35% of respondents are younger

than 26 years of age, it is not surprising that a high share of

respondents, about 37%, had a smaller number of children, up to

two. Roma women have children at a very early age. From the

survey sample, it is evident that most respondents (91% (N=95))

had their first child under the age of 21, of which a significant

95

number, 30.7%, by the age of 17. The children of 88.0% of

respondents regularly attend school.

Respondents for the most part live in a house 63.8% or an

apartment 21.7% in multi-member families of 5 to 6 members

32.9%. A smaller number of surveyed Roma women (about 14%)

live in shacks, trailers or some other living space, but do not

specify where. The living space in which most of the respondents

live 44.1% exceeds 50 m², while 19.7% of respondents live in a

space between 10 and 25 m². Most live in a space owned by their

parents 34.2% or the City of Zagreb 22.4%. Given that the

household consists of several members and the size of the living

space it is obvious that the respondents live in quite small and

limited spaces, and inadequate, it is assumed, considering the

infrastructure.

About 15% of respondents live in their own space. Figures

show that there is only a small difference concerning the question

of space ownership between the respondents 5.9% (N=9) and

their spouses 7.9% (N=12). About 15.8% of respondents live in

rented space. According to the received data, it is evident that the

respondents, mostly technically, have resolved the question of

their living space, although it is not of a satisfactory quality.

76.7% of respondents receive social welfare, of which this

is a fundamental source of means for subsistence for 57.2% of

respondents. The amount of social welfare that the surveyed

Roma women receive amounts from 245.00 HRK to 6,000.00

HRK. Most respondents receive social welfare amounting from

96

1,000.00 HRK to 2,000.00 HRK, while one fourth of respondents

from 245.00 HRK to 1,000.00 HRK. About 17% of respondents

receive social welfare above 3,000.00 HRK. Comparing the

everyday costs of living with the amount of social welfare that the

respondents receive, it is evident that the amount received does

not satisfy their basic living needs, and 23.7% of respondents gain

for additional means for living through temporary work or scrap

collection. According to the figures, about 1/4 of respondents

occasionally illegally join the labour market, which points to a

certain potential and need for providing professional assistance

and support to respondents looking for employment.

A certain percentage of women surveyed, 14.5%, are

supported financially by their husbands, and 3.9% by their parents,

father or live off alimony.

Education is a significant determinant of competitiveness

and employability of an individual, and in the respondents it is quite

low, and it can openly be said that it is at an even lower level than

expected. Most (65.8%) respondents have not completed primary

school, ¼ of respondents have completed primary school, and only

7 respondents have completed secondary school and only 1

respondent completed 2-year post secondary.

This fact points to the necessity of raising the awareness of

Roma women on the importance of education and finding ways of

involving them in educational activities.

97

According to self-assessment of foreign language

knowledge, 40.1% of respondents stated the importance of using a

foreign language (English, German or Italian), while 3.9% of them

said that they used two foreign languages. Besides the stated

languages, also spoken are Spanish, French, Albanian and

Macedonian. 52.4% of them use a foreign language at the level of

understanding. Not one respondent stated speaking the Roma

language, which would indicate that they consider it either their

mother tongue or that they really do not know it. Foreign language

knowledge is a positive reference for respondents and an

important competence in today's labour market, especially for

occupations in business activities such as the catering industry or

trade, to which Roma women are inclined.

In addition to education, an important indicator of labour

market competitiveness is work experience, for some jobs decisive

during the hiring process. Most respondents (68.7%) do not have

work experience, while the remaining respondents most often have

very limited work experience, up to 1 year. Roma women who

have work experience were mostly employed doing simple jobs

like: cleaning lady, saleswoman, on the production line, assistant

cook, waitress, hairdresser, work on computer, collecting

secondary raw material, work in laundry facility, babysitting and in

play area.

Most of the respondents (89%) have been unemployed for over

a year, of which about 72% has been "waiting" for more than five years.

98

63.2% of respondents stated that they are not actively

looking for a job, and merely 21.0% of respondents have prepared

a CV.

The attitude and initiative of respondents toward job

seeking is well below par, the following figures indicating this. In

the past six months respondents applied in total to 74 job

vacancies, which amounts to 12 vacancies a month or on average

0.5 applications per respondent. Of this, 82.2% of respondents in

the stated period did not apply to any job openings, while eight

respondents applied to only one job opening.

Respondents rarely contact - visit employers with the goal

of finding a job, 66.3% of surveyed Roma did not contact - visit

even one employers in the past three months, while only 12 of

them visited 5 or more employers.

Given that they are unemployed and are not actively

looking for a job, we were interested in how they spent their free

time. One fourth of respondents stated that they had no free time,

while about 18% of respondents stated that they had more than 5

hours of free time a day. Most often they spend their free time

unorganized, meeting up for coffee or watching television.

About 48% of respondents regularly read, whether newspaper

and books or helping their children do their homework, while a

significant number of respondents, 27.0%, do not read whatsoever.

Most respondents, 86.8%, have not attended any additional

course or were involved in education up to now, and those who did

99

attended training programmes for simple occupations and

computer courses. In general, 53.9% of respondents were not

interested in schooling. As the reason for their lack of interest and

of readiness most often they stated: I need to take of the children, I

have a lot of work around the house, illness, I am a single mother,

I am too old to learn. However, 55.9% of respondents stated that

they would like become involved in educational activities with the

objective of gaining a vocation. They most frequently state the

desire for qualifications for simple occupations (cook, maid,

saleswoman, hairdresser and so on) and for IT literacy.

A significant number of respondents, 77.6%, believe that

finishing primary school, additional knowledge and work

experience would significantly ease and speed up finding

employment.

They link their preferences to family and children. They

perceive themselves first and foremost as good mothers (50,0%) and

spouses (15,1%), and stated that they are smart, intelligent, good,

honest, good-looking, caring, patient, meticulous, tidy, accurate, quick,

determined, good friends, honest, open, ambitious.

In resolving their everyday problems, most expect

assistance from the City of Zagreb (66.0%), followed by the

Croatian Employment Service (64.5%), Social Welfare Centre

(63.1%) and the state (54.6%). Expecting assistance from their

family in resolving their every day difficulties are only 15

respondents, while not one respondent specified asking a friend

for help. An exceptionally high percentage of respondents (36.8%)

100

expect possible help in resolving their everyday issues from Roma

associations, which points to a certain extent to the establishment

and successful efforts of Roma associations, which have managed

to gain the trust of their community. The figures received point to

the conclusion that Roma women are aware that their everyday

problems cannot be resolved at the family and Roma community

level, but rather that greater support from the institutions is

necessary.

They are dissatisfied with their current material status (low and

unsteady financial income - 35.5% of respondents), housing conditions

(30.9%), unemployment status (19.1%), discrimination present toward

persons of Roma national minority (8.5%). A smaller number is

dissatisfied with experiences to date with employers, marriage and

for not completing school.

Respondents clearly identified areas in which they

expected changes. They particularly emphasized the need to

complete primary school and to find employment, as well as to

create and improve housing conditions. Furthermore, they

emphasize the need to change the position of Roma in society and

to create conditions for reducing discrimination and marginalization

of the Roma national minority. They recognize the need for change

in their personal development. (giving birth later in life and having

fewer children, fewer household obligations).

From the presented quantitative and qualitative results, it is

evident that Roma women are aware of their values and needs,

interested in changes, but lacking initiative.

101

Roma women, in order to become equal members/partners

in the labour market and society, necessary is professional

assistance and the help of the wider social community and

institutions.

The identified needs for changes in raising the level of

education and increasing capacities for employment of Roma

women must not be imposed. Roma women must be encouraged

to change through individualized employment preparation

programmes. Employment is an aspect of strengthening Roma

women, and it can be realized on condition that the Roma women

are included in the educational activities and acquire a specific

qualification, and develop skills to independently look for work. To

begin with self-confidence, motivation and interest for change are

developed and gained through tailor-made workshops and group

support meetings.

They have to be understood and accepted by their family

and the wider social community, and especially from the job coach.

The figures show that beneficiaries of the project are going to be a

demanding target group. A relationship of trust must be achieved

with the beneficiaries in a short time, who must be approached

with great care. They must be provided the opportunity to feel

understood and like useful members prepared to join the labour

market and society.

On the basis of received data, it can be concluded that the

respondents have no negative stance towards employment and

education, but rather a kind of passivity as a result of insufficient

102

information and transfer of established behaviour patterns from

one generation to the next. In order for a change to occur in the

behaviour pattern, intense individualized work with Roma women

and their families is necessary, as well as concrete assistance of

the institution and the wider public.

Through this project we will attempt to make a step forward

and to encourage the group of Roma women in the sense of

educating themselves and of becoming employed. They will be a

positive example to other Roma women and, together with

partners in this project, will participate in the building of an

individualized, tailor-made employment preparation program for

marginalized groups of women and the foundation and promotion

of the services of CASI "Romani', Centre for Advice, Support and

Information.

RECOMMENDATIONS

More intense involvement of Roma women in

workshops with the objective of strengthening, gaining self-

confidence and developing awareness on the importance of

education and employment

Organizing of workshops and support group meetings

with the objective of raising motivation for changes of the existing

state

Individual guidance of Roma women through the

process of preparation for employment, gradually developing their

independence and following their achievements.

103

Organizing workshops on the topic of efficient

organization and use of free time

Defining and involving in simple training programmes

Raising computer literacy according to a tailor-made

course

Establishing quality cooperation between the Roma

women and the job coach

Connecting Roma women with other women with the

objective of exchanging experiences

Initiating intense campaigns with entrepreneurs with

the objective of raising interest for employing Roma women with

the possibility of using funds from the Decade of Roma Inclusion

2005-2015

The City of Zagreb will recommend measures for

resolving housing issues for Roma through the construction of

houses acceptable to them (separate houses - not moving into

residential buildings)

Connecting the Croatian Employment Service, Zagreb

Office with the Social Welfare Centre Zagreb with the objective of

joint coordination of activities of beneficiaries involved in this

project

Annex 2 Employer Survey

104

Structure of employed workers in surveyed employers by level of education and gender

According to the presented, the share of employed women

(with the surveyed employers) without completed or with

completed primary school (24.9%) is significantly greater than the

share of employed men (10.2%) with the same level of education.

The employers specified the occupations that were

prevalent in their enterprise/craft company by ranking them 1 – 5,

with 1 – the most frequent occupations, and 5 – the least frequent.

105

Bez završene osnovne škole1,0%

Završena osnovna

škola9,2%

Srednja trogo-dišnja škola13,7%

Srednja četvero-godišnja

škola68,4%

Prvi stupanj

f akulteta i viša škola

3,4%Fakultet

4,3%

Muškarci

Bez završene osnovne

škole4,0%

Završena osnovna škola20,9%

Srednja trogo-dišnja škola7,6%

Srednja četvero-godišnja

škola51,8%

Prvi stupanj

f akulteta i viša škola

4,1%

Fakultet11,6%

Žene

Most employers as the most frequent occupations specified

the groups of occupations:

salesperson, shop assistant, shopping demonstrator

sales representative, bookkeeper, economist,

administrative clerk

cleaning lady, maid.

As for additional qualifications required for the jobs, the

majority of employers ranked as the most important:

IT literacy

driving license

foreign language.

The employers have also ranked the skills required for the

jobs, and the majority of employers specified as most important:

communicativeness

ability of dealing with people

teamwork.

In 2010 terminating employment in the surveyed employers

were 2,929 workers, of which 1,630 women, that is, 55.7%.

106

107

Istek ugovora o radu

55,0%

Sporazumni rskid ugovora o radu

26,2%Otkaz od strane

radnika4,4%

Otkaz od strane poslodavca

6,7%

Umirovljenje5,1%

Ostali razlozi prestanka rada

2,6%

Razlozi prestanka rada u 2010. godini kod anketiranih poslodavaca

I stek ugovora o radu

Sporazumni raskid

ugovora o radu

Otkaz od strane radnika

Otkaz od strane

poslodavcaUmirovljenje

Ostali razlozi prestanka

rada

Muškarci 469 502 47 121 92 68Žene 1.141 266 81 77 57 8

0

200

400

600

800

1.000

1.200

Broj

osob

a

Radnici koji su prestali raditi kod anketiranih poslodavaca tijekom 2010. godine (prema razlogu prestanka rada i spolu)

In 2010, 91 employers hired 3.070 workers, of which 1.808

women, that is, 58.9%.

In 2011, 69 employers (46.0% of those surveyed) planned

on hiring workers, of which 9 could not predict the number, while

the remaining 63 employers planned on employing 1,506 people

(387 women, that is, 25.7%).

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Bez završene osnovne škole

Završena osnovna škola

Srednja trogodišnja

škola

Srednja četverogodišnja škola

Prvi stupanj fakulteta i viša škola

Fakultet

Muškarci 8 5 115 967 10 14Žene 16 78 115 131 23 24

0

200

400

600

800

1.000

1.200

Broj

osob

a

Planirano zapošljavanje u 2011. godini kod anketiranih poslodavaca(prema razini obrazovanja i spolu)

From the chart it can be seen that employers plan on

employing mostly men with completed four-year high school.

The most frequent occupations that employers plan on

hiring in 2011 are: cleaning lady, administrative clerk, sales

specialist and salesperson.

To the question "Are you prepared to become involved in

this Project by including Roma women - beneficiaries of this

project, who meet the conditions of the job opening, as candidates

during recruitment?“ 53 employers (35.3%) answered affirmatively,

94 negatively (62.7%), while 3 employers did not reply. Of the 53

employers who replied positively, only 23 employers plan to hire

women in 2011, more precisely 258 women, whose educational

structure is as follows:

without completed primary school - 15 women (5.8%)

completed primary school - 69 women (26.8%)

completed three-year high school - 80 women (31.0%)

completed four-year high school - 60 women (23.3%)

first level university and two-year post secondary- 13

women (5.0%)

university - 21 women (8.1%)

When hiring, 35 employers (23.3%) used co-financing

according to the National Employment Incentive Programme.

Familiar with the programme "Decade of Roma Inclusion 2005-

2015" are 57 employers (38.0%).

109

Also, of all of the surveyed employers, 13 employers (8.7%)

had positive experiences when hiring individuals of the Roma

national minority, 11 employers (7.3%) had negative experiences,

125 employers (83.3%) had no experience with hiring individuals

of the Roma national minority and 1 employer (0.7%) replied that

he did not have any information on the nationality of employees.

Comments of employers related to employing individuals of

the Roma national minority:

they do not have good working habits, they often do not

show up for work, they leave work without telling anyone;

misappropriation of things

dedicated and hard-working individuals, left to pursue other

employment

they did not endure working the entire working hours, they

were searching for ways to leave work, making up excuses

they should also be given a chance

stopped coming to work

they have a specific relation toward work and work

responsibilities in general

I had a negative experience and do not wish to become

involved in the project

We have a quite positive stance related to assimilating the

specified category into society

positive attitude toward work and work responsibilities in

general

110

national, religious and other affiliation is absolutely

unimportant

we have a Roma woman in training, the experience is

positive

we do not hire women, and so no Roma women either

the most important thing for us is the qualifications of the

person we are hiring

the nature of the work requires mostly field work

for a few years already, an individual of Roma national

minority has been employed with us as cleaning lady and

we are quite satisfied with her

if they meet the conditions of the job opening, Roma

women can be employed too

the cleaning lady of Roma nationality stopped showing up

for work without explanation although she still had a valid

work contract

negative experiences with Roma - I cannot afford the risk of

hiring Roma

the male population has proven to be unreliable, they

would not show up for work, nor would they call, insolent

during communication

if they meet the required criteria

if a need for new workers should appear, we are willing to

hire a Roma woman

we are willing to hire Roma women, as well as all other

citizens of the Republic of Croatia if they meet the criteria

and have the necessary professional qualifications to

compete on an equal playing field

111

as well as all workers, the question is whether or not they

are willing to work

we are if they have the basic culture of behaviour, tidiness,

decency and readiness to learn what we are teaching them

According to the presented, the share of employed women

(with the surveyed employers) without completed or with

completed primary school (24.9%) is significantly greater than the

share of employed men (10.2%) with the same level of education.

112