Equity Statement

● United Way Romania advocates for the right of every member of the community to a life lived with dignity, regardless of nationality, race, ethnicity, age, religion, gender, gender identity and sexual orientation;
● We recognize that structural racism and discrimination, including ethnic discrimination, are part of our history. They have created hostile attitudes towards groups and communities – for example, towards the Roma, attitudes that have existed in the past and persist in the present, and which we seek to dismantle;
● We unequivocally denounce racism and ethnic discrimination because it undermines the well-being and vitality of our communities;
● We strive to engage community members, especially those whose voices have traditionally been marginalized;
● We pledge to create and maintain an environment that respects diverse traditions, heritages, and experiences within the communities in which we serve;
● We work with partners, public and private, who share our values, to work together to create solutions that ensure that all people have the resources, support, opportunities and networks they need to thrive;
● We aspire to a community that respects the dignity, uniqueness and intrinsic value of each person; a community capable of supporting its members to reach their full potential.

Context

According to a survey conducted by the European Commission in 2015, Romanians consider discrimination on the basis of age over 55 and on the basis of disability as the most widespread (56% for both categories). The following positions include discrimination based on sexual orientation (52%) and ethnicity (51%). In the field of employment, age of over 55 is the main reason for discrimination (52%). According to the survey, the least comfortable co-worker would be an LGB person (59%), transgender or transsexual (57%), over 75 years old (39%) or disabled (27%). 62% of respondents in Romania consider it necessary to introduce new measures to increase the level of protection of groups vulnerable to discrimination.

Another survey published in 2015, reveals that an overwhelming majority of the Romanian population considers that they have been discriminated against (75%), while only 29% of them know how to proceed legally in these situations. According to the same survey, two out of three Romanian citizens consider discrimination to be a current issue. The most affected by discrimination are people living with or affected by HIV / AIDS (65%), but also people using drugs (57%) or people with mental or physical disabilities (55-56%). Other categories prone to discrimination are: Roma (49%), LGBTIQ people (49%), and institutionalized children (48%). The survey also shows that in the view of the interviewees, ethnic discrimination is treated as a priority in Romania. Regarding the areas where discrimination occurs, most respondents mentioned getting a job (50%), access to medical services (45%) and access to education.