The Possibilities of Romani Feminism

Abstract

This Comparative Perspectives Symposium on Romani Feminisms stakes claims that are at once academic and activist. It is one more way of marking our existence as Romnia and as feminists; it is a witness to our presence, proof of our existence, and a claiming of our always-precarious place in the world. It is both manifesto and theoretical intervention. Since our place in the world has been precarious for a millennium, the very notion that this precariousness is increasing is alarming on many fronts. The rise of neofascism, forced evictions and displacements, anti-Romani marches, and heightened vilification of Romani people in the face of the economic crisis has made the need for our public voice more urgent than ever. This symposium airs that voice, and the experiences of Romani people, through the theory and practice of feminism. It brings together Romani women and non-Romani (or gadji) women and shows the need for and possibilities of Romani feminism, even in the face of those who would deny our claims and our very existence.