Within the project “Legal Aid and Advocacy – Access to Rights and Combating Discrimination against the Roma”, implemented by Praxis with the support of Civil Rights Defenders in the period from January 2015 to 31 December, the final roundtable was organized for the representatives of institutions and civil society from ten municipalities in which project activities were carried (Leskovac, Bojnik, Prokuplje, Kursumlija, Bor, Aleksinac, Bela Palanka, Krusevac, Lebane and Knjazevac).

This meeting was preceded by a series of activities aimed at providing an insight into the problems faced by Roma in access to socioeconomic rights and problems in the lack of legal framework and practice. The goal of the meeting was that representatives of all relevant institutions and civil sector in local communities may formulate conclusions and recommendations related to steps that need to be taken in order toe solve the existing problems, through coordinated activities and comprehensive approach to existing problems.

During the project period, over 700 beneficiaries were informed, counseled and provided with legal aid in order to exercise the right to personal documents, permanent and temporary residence, social protection and health care, employment, education and housing. A total of 30 field visits were performed to 53 Roma settlements in order to make legal aid available to a wider range of the most vulnerable beneficiaries. Meetings were held with representatives of relevant institutions in ten municipalities where activities aimed at improving their mutual cooperation and cooperation with civil society organizations were conducted, with an aim to improve the access to socioeconomic rights for Roma. Development and strengthening of this cooperation should provide equal access to justice for Roma, contribute to the quality of provided services and to the improvement of general situation of Roma national minority.

As part of the same project, the Research on access to socioeconomic rights for Roma women in Serbia conducted and published with an aim to provide information about the access of Roma women to health, education, employment, social welfare and housing conditions. The research also deals with gender perspective, examining the situation of Roma women compared to men in the same community. The research was presented to participants of the roundtable and published on Praxis website.  

The results of conducted activities, including identified problems and obstacles and their character, were presented to representatives of local communities at the final roundtable. Together with Praxis team, the participants of the round table took an active part in defining recommendations that will be a guide to local institutions and civil society in finding adequate responses to problems.