Capitalising public narratives in the organising of grassroots roma women
In contrast to what social imaginary portrays, Roma women are not passive in regard to the racial and gender-based discrimination they face across Europe. They participate in various forms of political and social activism through Roma women-led civic associations, slightly achieving more representation in higher structures of power. Despite on-going mobilisations, the Roma women’s movement has faced obstacles that prevented it from being better organised. Scant scientific literature has yet analysed how existing networks of solidarity, support, or respectful listening between Roma women and other non-Roma allies, can be turned into a better-organised movement and contribute to a better strategic process as a way to enforce Roma and Roma women’s fundamental rights. Conceived as a qualitative research, Narratives4Change project will study what has been theorised as “Public Narratives”, an effective leadership practice for community organising that is used worldwide. The project’s main goal will be to examine Public Narrative as a promising theoretical and practical model of the leadership practice and organising, inquiring on how when applied by civic associations it contributes to activate members’ agency and their strategic capacity to achieve social and political impact. Special attention will be granted to those civic associations working in the field of education, health and gender equality, mainly with at-risk social groups. Drawing on this analysis, Narratives4Change will contribute novel knowledge about the conditions that need to exist in order for the Public Narrative model be capitalised by Roma women associations in Spain, informing how to advance in better organising the Roma women movement in Europe. Its theoretical contributions are of major relevance for Europe in current times. It will unveil actions and strategies for the social inclusion of Roma and the empowerment of Roma women, thus suggesting ways of making EU funds more effective and impactful.