Drom Kotar Mestipen - Asociación Gitana de Mujeres

Equality and participation for Roma women

Drom Kotar Mestipen, meaning “Path of Freedom,” is a nonprofit Roma women's association based in Barcelona, with more than 20 years of work. Its central mission is to advance equality and challenge discrimination against Roma women by promoting their participation in education, social life, and culture. The association also works to address the double discrimination Roma women face because of both gender and ethnicity.

Activities and programs

The association has organized its own activities since 2000, including:

• Gatherings of Roma women students in towns across Catalonia, now held for 25 editions.
• International Congresses of Roma Women, which the association identifies as one of its most significant activities.
• Courses for Roma women recognized by the Government of Catalonia, including the 2025 edition of the Leisure Activities Leader Course in Gavà, with 25 participants.
• European, national, and local projects, including participation in European projects since 2010.

Networks and partnerships

Drom Kotar Mestipen participates in advocacy networks at several levels. In Europe, it is an invited member of the International Roma Women Network (IRWN), the European Women's Lobby, and the EU Civil Society Platform Against Trafficking in Human Beings. In Spain, it is part of KAMIRA, the National Federation of Roma Women. In Catalonia, it works with the Parliament's Roma People Intergroup, the Government of Catalonia's Comprehensive Plan for Roma People, the Barcelona City Council's Municipal Council for Roma People, the Federation of Adult Cultural and Educational Associations (FACEPA), and the Center for Roma Studies at CREA-University of Barcelona.

Board

The board brings together academic and activist backgrounds. President Rosamaría Cisneros is a sociologist, researcher, and artist with a doctorate in sociology from the University of Barcelona. Treasurer Emilia Aiello is a postdoctoral researcher at Harvard Kennedy School and the Autonomous University of Barcelona. Secretary Andrea Khalfaoui Larrañaga holds a doctorate in education and is a postdoctoral researcher at the University of Edinburgh.

Contact

Address: 243 Carrer del Treball, 08020 Barcelona, Spain. Phone: +34 933 043 000. Email: dromkotarmestipen@gmail.com. The association is active on X, Facebook, Instagram, YouTube, and TikTok.