Roma Community Strategies to Prevent and Address Gender-Based Violence

Abstract This article examines community-driven strategies developed within the Roma population to prevent and respond to gender-based violence, highlighting mechanisms that support women’s safety while respecting Roma identity and cultural frameworks. Adopting a qualitative design grounded in Communicative Methodology (CM) and Community-Based Participatory Research (CBPR), we analyzed N = 28 participants, comprising 6 semi-structured interviews with professionals, 8 interviews with Roma women from two associations, one focus group ( n = 6) with association members, and 8 Communicative Life Stories (4 women and 4 men) with Roma community members. Using reflexive thematic analysis, we identified three interconnected themes: (1) an unwritten inter-family pact, (2) community mediation—including the Roma mediator, and (3) women’s solidarity networks, notably the role of the mother-in-law. These mechanisms offer culturally embedded forms of support that challenge prevailing stereotypes portraying Roma culture as permissive of gender violence. By foregrounding Roma women’s agency and the community’s internal resources, this study underscores the importance of incorporating culturally specific mechanisms into formal support systems. Such integration can foster more inclusive and effective interventions that both protect and empower Roma women.