Society projects onto us what it does not want to be: Iñaki Vázquez Arencón, a Romani and LGTBIQ+ activist, on International Rroma Day

8 Apr 2025 | RTVE

Roma activists are calling for an end to stereotypes and for greater recognition of diversity

Education remains a major challenge: 63% of Roma pupils do not complete their secondary education

Celia Montoya Montoya and Iñaki Vázquez Arencón joke that they are a “mismatched couple”. They have known each other for years, spend a lot of time together and share a common project: La Fragua Projects, a Romani social and solidarity economy organisation. They are activists for the rights of their people, which, they say, is a struggle for human rights. 

Celia describes herself as a feminist and an actress “who works hard but doesn’t make a profit”; Iñaki describes himself as an activist—and also a gender-nonconforming activist. Neither of them fits the stereotypical moulds usually attributed to their community. Celia laments that saying she “is a feminist and a Romani woman” still raises eyebrows.

“They seem like opposites, but the strongest people I know are Romani women. Not just those in my family, but also incredibly powerful women I’ve come across in my research.” She criticises the fact that these figures are rendered invisible and that society portrays her people — and others on the margins — as the most sexist “to convince white women that they are better off and that we are the savages”.

"Society projects onto others what it does not want to be"

Iñaki agrees: “It’s the theory of otherness. Society projects onto the ‘other’ what it does not want to be. We are cast as the ‘savage’ side.” He laments that this is a dehumanising strategy: “We are homogenised in order to deny our diversity.”

To put an end to this, Iñaki Vázquez proposes a solution: “It is very important that the state provides role models for young men and women. There are lesbians, gays, bisexuals and transgender people in the Roma People – of course there are. Some have a very hard time of it and others do not. “Role models are vital, and the state must provide them, because otherwise it is complicit in all the violence suffered by these people,” he argues. 

Sara Giménez, director-general of the Secretariado Gitano, highlights another aspect of this homogenisation: "There is a perception of the Romani people that is linked to exclusion or folklore. It is very regrettable to speak in this way, but all of us Roma who do not fit that image—and there are many of us—go unnoticed,” she explains. “There are many of us Roma women who have stepped forward to promote employment, to promote education, to make progress, and even to advocate for active participation in society. And almost nobody sees it,” she adds. 

Celia Montoya, like many of her colleagues in the industry, has come up against the stereotypes associated with the Romani community. "In the world of film and television, if you don’t play stereotypical Romani roles, you don’t get work. I have a look that makes people see me as very ethnic or exotic. Because of that, all the roles I was offered were always linked to prostitution, marginalisation… And I’ve always turned them down, which is why I haven’t done much in film and television.”

La Cañada Real in Madrid, one of the many places where social exclusion is evident

For Celia and Iñaki, 8 April is not a day for “symbolic or institutional celebrations, or empty promises; it is a day for taking a stand”. That is why they have asked us to meet them at the Cañada Real. They want to keep the spotlight on the issue and remind people “that they have been without electricity for four years”. 

For Iñaki Vázquez, the situation in this part of Madrid is a prime example of what the Roma community has always had to endure. “The state always looks the other way. Just look at what’s happening here in La Cañada. A whole host of European institutions say this is a violation of human rights, but neither the local, regional nor national governments are doing anything about it.” 

600 years of the Romani people in Spain

The first historical document recording the presence of the Roma in Spain dates from 12 January 1425. Sara Giménez, director-general of Secretariado Gitano, laments the fact that, 600 years later, there is still a great deal of ignorance about them. For this reason, she calls for their history and contribution to the country’s culture to be made more widely known.

“This lack of awareness has serious consequences in terms of discrimination, the formation of prejudices and stereotypes,” which, he argues, undermine access to a dignified life, given that 86% of the Roma community lives below the poverty line: “We continue to face severe inequalities. Particularly in education, housing and employment.”

Education: the major challenge still to be tackled

According to a report by the Fundación Secretariado Gitano, 63% of Roma pupils do not complete their secondary education, whereas the figure for the general population is 4%. For this reason, they advocate investing “in specific programmes that address this disadvantage so that education—which acts as a social ladder—truly works for the Roma community, because so far it has not been working well enough”.

Author: Maria Iranzo

Photos: RTVE

Source: RTVE

Roma activists call for an end to stereotypes