Reproductive Health Serbia Project #74868

Access to health services for Roma women

by BIBIJA ROMA WOMEN CENTER

Project Report | Sep 28, 2026
Progress ReportEmpowering Roma Women Through Vital

By Slavica Vasic Mitrovic | Project coordinator

Building on the activities implemented in 2025, including educational workshops, strengthened cooperation with primary healthcare centres, capacity-building of healthcare professionals, and community outreach, the final phase of the project focused on facilitating access to preventive reproductive health services and assessing women's experiences following their participation in the project.

Between February and April 2026, preventive gynaecological examinations were organized for Roma women in Belgrade, Pirot, Leskovac, Kragujevac and Šabac through close cooperation between Bibija, , primary healthcare centres and Roma health educators. Although the project initially envisaged providing preventive health services to at least 100 Roma women, a total of 135 women benefited from individualized support and attended preventive examinations. Educators played a crucial role throughout the process by identifying eligible participants, scheduling appointments, accompanying women to health facilities when needed, and helping them overcome administrative and practical barriers.

The examinations included cervical cancer screening, gynaecological examinations and other preventive reproductive health services, enabling the early identification of health conditions requiring additional diagnostics, treatment or follow-up care. A particularly encouraging finding was the significantly higher participation among women who had previously attended the educational workshops, confirming that improved health literacy combined with individualized community support effectively translates into increased utilization of preventive health services.

The implementation also highlighted a number of persistent barriers faced by Roma women in accessing healthcare, including administrative obstacles related to health insurance documentation, difficulties in scheduling appointments, language barriers, competing family responsibilities and continued distrust of institutions due to previous experiences of discrimination. Close cooperation between educators and healthcare providers proved essential in addressing these challenges and ensuring that women were able to receive the necessary services. The experience further confirmed the need for continuous work in the field, strengthening cooperation with health institutions and additional support for women from vulnerable social groups. Also is necessary to advocate for stronger intersectoral cooperation between the health, social protection and education sectors, as well as more flexible administrative procedures to improve equitable access to preventive healthcare for vulnerable populations.

Some of the challenges faced by female educators in the field are the scheduling of examinations because it was not possible to implement them as agreed with the primary health centers because some of the women canceled the examinations several times due to their obligations. Some of the women did not have personal documents, some did not have health insurance confirmation or confirmation was outdated, yet they were allowed to be examined. Many of the women still distrust the institutions due to some previous bad experiences, discrimination or the feeling that the institutions do not respect them, also one of the challenges was that some of the women do not know the Serbian language or speak it very poorly. They needed the help of educators in the field and all these challenges were solved on the spot.
One of the most significant outcomes of the project was that preventive examinations enabled the early detection of health conditions requiring further investigation or treatment, providing women with an opportunity to seek timely medical care before more serious complications could develop.

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Jun 1, 2026
Progress report

By Slavica Vasic Mitrovic | Project Leader

In line with a project plan, a methodology for the workshops for all three age groups was developed by two consultants experienced in peer approach and SRHR. Tailored programs and materials were created for each of the three age groups, using culturally and age-appropriate peer approaches to address health topics. These materials covered a range of subjects, with a particular focus on sexual and reproductive health and rights (SRHR). T-Workshops for girls included topics related to the importance of reproductive health, the right to health care and preventive services, including HPV vaccination, family planning, consequences of early/child marriage, and adolescent pregnancy issues;

-Workshops for adult women refer to family planning, the importance of spacing between pregnancies for the mother's health and overall health, prevention and early detection of diseases, primarily cervical and breast cancer, prevention of gender-based violence and harmful practices, including child marriage;

-Workshops for older women refer to the topics of menopause, chronic diseases including cancer of the reproductive organs, the importance of regular medical examination, prevention and response to gender-based violence and harmful practices;

-According to the overall Project Proposal 20 workshops were planned in each Roma settlement: six separate workshops for each age group and two joint workshops for all participants.
Additionally, two joint workshops are designed to foster mutual trust among participants and enhance their ability to discuss topics considered sensitive in Roma community, such as child marriage and sexual health, and intergenerational exchange and support.

Ten female activists were selected via public call to be engaged as local educators (two from each of the participating cities), to facilitate the workshops. Their responsibilities included recruiting participants, organizing and delivering workshops while building trust within Roma communities, and encouraging their active participation.

Their responsibilities included recruiting participants, organizing and delivering workshops while building trust within Roma communities, and encouraging their active participation.

The online ToT for 10 local educators was held via Zoom online platform. After the online training, a detailed plan for the implementation of the workshops was prepared. The activists were responsible for conducting workshops in settlements, leading group sessions tailored to the particular needs of each target group.

The trained local educators recruited 30 women in each of the planned settlements to participate in the workshops (10 girls, 10 adult women, and 10 older women, totaling 300 participants across 10 settlements in five cities).

Workshops were implemented in the settlements of Makis and Deponija in Belgrade, in the settlements of Licika and Bresnica in Kragujevac,in Sat Mahla and Podrovce in Leskovac, Tijabara and Nova Mala in Pirot, and in Vrbovac and Drenovac settlements in Sabac.
Total of 60 workshops were held in this reporting period, two for each of the age group in every settlement

The work with the girls began with them being very shy and reserved. However, as the workshops progressed, they gradually opened up and became more willing to discuss the topics. In some of the settlements, this was the first time that such work was done with girls and women. Despite the difficult working conditions—lack of space, no electricity—their enthusiasm and interest in participating in the workshops was remarkable.

When working with older women, the group was very active. These women were eager to share their experiences and can talk for hours, often providing examples from their own lives and highlighting the behaviors of certain healthcare professionals. For instance, the village doctor usually maintains a friendly relationship with the women, and the nurse, who works in Šabac, is always available when the village doctor is not on duty.

The women were open and encouraged each other to speak, creating a warm and intimate atmosphere. They greet us with great enthusiasm, joking both about themselves and local educators. Perhaps due to their age, they are especially kind, approachable, and cooperative, making it a pleasure to work with them. The only challenge was managing the length of their presentations and guiding the workshop back on track.

We believe that these workshops should be held more frequently in Roma settlements, as they greatly enhance the participants' knowledge of sexual and reproductive health and encourage open discussions on topics that are still taboo in the Roma community. In the beginning, the women were reserved, but over time, they became more comfortable talking about such important issues.

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