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Cases of discrimination in access to goods and services
6
Given the urgency of her situation, she decided to go to the municipal office the very next day to request
the report that she needed. There the social worker repeatedly refused her request without explanation.
This led to a confrontation between the social worker and the Roma woman who needed the report.Ciudad Real.
Acceso a bienes y servicios. Discriminación directa. Una mujer gitana nos comenta que estando de compras en
un supermercado de su localidad,
5.
Ciudad Real.
Access to goods and services.
Direct discrimination.
A Roma woman shopping at her local
supermarket reported that she
“heard people talking about how dirty Roma people were and that their hygiene was atrocious. She told
them that these stereotypes were untrue and the people in question apologised.”
6.
Talavera de la Reina.
Access to goods and services.
Direct discrimination.
A Roma woman reported that
four months earlier she had gone to her local drug store and the manager there accused her of theft and of
selling stolen perfume. The Roma woman responded by telling the manager that she earns her living by selling
other types of products and that if he had evidence of wrongdoing then he should show her.
She went back to this shop on four different occasions and each time she was harassed and insulted by the
manager. Each time she entered the shop the manager would say: “Gypsy shit, you’re all the same; all cut from
the same cloth.” The woman tried to reason with him and asked him for proof that she had stolen merchandise
from the shop. She then requested a complaint form. The manager refused to give here the form.
In the end, the victim tried to sort things by speaking to the manager’s mother (a neighbour of hers), but the lat-
ter responded by making a scene, assaulting and insulting the woman in public and loudly accusing her of theft.
This is a typical example of discrimination in access to goods and services based on one’s ethnic group and
especially affects women who are often subjected to disproportionate surveillance at shops simply because
of their race.
7.
Sabadell.
Access to goods and services.
Direct discrimination.
A Roma participant in our ACCEDER emplo-
yment programme was hired through an occupation scheme at a childcare centre in Vapor Llonch, the facility
where the city of Sabadell’s Department of Economic Development is located.
At the end of her contract she informed us that the person responsible for managing the childcare service did
not treat Roma and non-Roma equally when it came to admitting children into the day-care programme. She
made it more difficult for Roma women who approached the service to enrol their children.
She told us that she didn’t say anything while she was working there for fear of being fired.
8.
Valencia.
Access to goods and services.
Direct discrimination.
Three Roma teachers from Cuenca travelled
to Valencia to attend the 33rd Conference of Teachers of Roma students.
Upon their arrival at Valencia train station they took a taxi to the conference venue. Their destination was a well-
known place in the old part of the downtown area called Plaza del Horno de San Nicolás.
The three young teachers were busy talking with one another during the drive. They believe that is how the taxi
driver realised that they were Roma. After about 5 minutes, the driver told them that he didn’t know where the
street was and made no effort whatsoever to try to locate the address.