The ROMA-GEM (Roma Girls’ Empowerment through Mentorship) project is a 14-month initiative running from September 1, 2025, to October 31, 2026, funded by the Spanish National Agency for Youth (INJUVE, ES02). The project operates under the Youth field and aims to address pressing challenges faced by Roma girls, including low educational attainment, limited professional opportunities, and high levels of discrimination in the labor market.

The main objectives of ROMA-GEM are to empower Roma girls through inclusive mentorship, strengthen their educational and professional development, adopt a needs-based, data-driven approach, enhance digital access and learning opportunities, and ensure sustainability and long-term impact. By focusing on these strategic objectives, the project targets both the systemic barriers and individual challenges that Roma girls face in education and employment.

Implementation of the project is structured around comprehensive activities including governance through Steering, Quality, and Monitoring Committees, primary research to identify community needs, development of training materials, and mentoring workshops designed to provide hands-on support. The project also emphasizes monitoring and evaluation, stakeholder engagement with local communities, businesses, and policymakers, as well as dissemination through EU platforms and networks to maximize outreach and impact.

Expected results include a Community-Based Participatory Research (CBPR) framework, an e-platform for learning and mentorship, a practical educational toolkit, four showcase events, and enhanced networking opportunities for Roma women entrepreneurs and key stakeholders. The project will also implement a comprehensive dissemination strategy including newsletters, press releases, events, and social media campaigns to ensure wide visibility and sustainability of the project outcomes.

ROMA-GEM aims not only to provide immediate support and learning opportunities for Roma girls but also to create a lasting model of mentorship, empowerment, and inclusion that can be scaled and adapted in other contexts across Europe.