On the occasion of the International Women’s Day, the country World Bank Group management would like to thank the women in Romania for their contribution to society. We confirm the commitment to preserve a gender lens in all the Bank’s activities in Romania for inclusive growth and to support the country’s efforts to reduce inequalities between women and men.
Elisabetta Capannelli, World Bank Country Manager for Romania
"According to recent estimates, there are between 1,200,000 and 2,500,000 Roma in Romania (i.e. between 6% and 12% of the total population). But the Roma are poor, vulnerable and socially excluded, and this is severely limiting their opportunities to contribute to the country’s economic growth. The at-risk-of-poverty rate of Romanian Roma, at 84%, is almost three times higher than among the neighboring non-Roma. Gender gap is a major issue and the situation is consistently bleaker for Roma girls and women in terms of status, education and access to jobs. Investing in Roma women will trigger a virtuous circle of social change. Roma women can provide hope to the future generation, if they have access to better health, better education, and better living conditions. Effective policies should first and foremost target women, investing in their education, and including and empowering them on the labor market. At the World Bank, we have the knowledge and convening power to show that Roma inclusion in general, and the inclusion of Roma women in particular, is not only the right thing to do, but is also smart economics. This is part of my mission and I hope that women in Romania will join me in making inclusive growth gender-balanced."
