Türkiye—Technical Assistance for Establishing Strong Monitoring, Evaluation, and Coordination Mechanism for National Roma Integration Strategy

In 2017, the population of Türkiye was estimated at 80.8 million with a growth rate of 1.24 percent per year. Recent studies suggest that the Roma population in Türkiye ranges between 2 to 5 million and the majority of Roma live in Western Anatolia, Thrace, and in southeastern and eastern Türkiye. Altogether, 22 provinces are identified as having Roma communities.

Due to the socio-economic conditions of Roma families, their access to educational opportunities is relatively low. Even though enrollment in basic education is standardized and does not allow segregation, the dropout rates and irregular attendance to school are high among Roma children. Access to employment for Roma people is mostly difficult, lacking adequate training and education. Roma people work predominantly seasonal, temporary, or risky jobs. Inadequate housing condition is a key problem in the Roma communities living in poverty. Access to health care does not pose a serious problem as basic health care is free. Yet, several health problems are common due to poverty, high-risk occupations, and lack of awareness of health care facilities. Some Roma people are not in the system of social insurance and are supported through social services and assistance offered.

The Technical Assistance for Establishing Strong Monitoring, Evaluation, and Coordination Mechanism for National Roma Integration Strategy (NRIS) project—led by WYG partnered with DAI—aims to achieve measurable progress towards ending discrimination against Roma people and strengthening respect for fundamental rights and freedoms for all individuals, in line with the European Court of Human Rights.

Sample Activities

• Build a strong and comprehensive monitoring and evaluation (M&E) framework and mechanism to assess the progress of the actions and the degree of the implementation of the NRIS, nationally and locally.
• Develop the capacity of the staff of the Ministry of Family, Labor, and Social Services, particularly those of key stakeholders to ensure that an efficient and effective M&E process of the NRIS is in place.