| I look at the history of the Roma women's activist movement in Romania and its interaction with Romanian feminists, Roma nationalists, and international organizations and institutions such as the European Union. I argue that the Roma women's activist movement after the fall of communism was born out of the dissatisfaction of Roma women activists with Roma nationalism and mainstream Romanian feminism. Both Roma nationalism and Romanian feminism failed to incorporate issues particular to Roma women (such as arranged and early marriages, virginity tests) into their larger discourses, even while claiming to represent Roma women. My thesis aims to document both the obstacles and the collective achievements of the female Roma leaders. They had the courage to stand up in a hostile environment to fight not only for Roma women, but for the entire Roma community. |
