Paulina Santiago, 48 years old, Madrid, Spanish
Paulina Santiago, example of overcoming and fighting within the Roma and one of the strongest and most cultured gypsies we know
PAULINA SANTIAGO, EXAMPLE OF OVERCOMING AND FIGHTING WITHIN THE ROMA
Roma women are doubly discriminated, because of being Roma and being women. These elements of social stratification, which influence the position that one finally reaches within society, may be added to others, such as the lack of studies or the fact of performing deregulated and poorly paid work. Stereotypes have a determining role in the life chances of many people, especially those belonging to minorities who have historically been at risk of social exclusion, such as the Roma population.
With the aim of ending stereotypes and prejudices that feed discrimination against these disadvantaged groups, Florida Universitaria, in collaboration with other European institutions, is collecting success stories within the Roma community under the framework of the European Project PAL, against discrimination and anti-gypsyism in the areas of education and employment.
One of those stories is about Paulina, resident of Madrid, one of the strongest and most cultured gypsies I know. Although she usually defines it as happy and balanced, Paulina did not have an easy childhood. Often a victim of bullying, the fact that she was one of the daughters of a Roma Civil Guard[1] (Guardia Civil, in Spanish) led her to be considered as a non-Roma among the Roma and Roma among the non-Roma. She grew up between Linares and Madrid, very close to her family, especially her parents and siblings, a union that has always been above everything else in her life.
Training and education have always been very appreciated in her home. That explains why she is a great lover of literature and cinema. Her grandfather was mayor of Jabalquinto, in Jaén (Spain), a wise man who knew the value and the importance of being well educated. This attitude, passed down from parents to children, gave rise to a whole generation of pharmacists, lawyers and doctors in the family.
The unconditional support of her father making her study was always fundamental. She went to a nuns’ school in Linares and later enrolled in the CEU, in the Faculty of Pharmacy, thanks to which she became a pharmacist. Indeed, she studied Pharmacy by vocation, to help others, and worked in this profession for years. Nowadays she collaborates regularly with associations of Roma women, and considers the education of her children as a priority, making them see that their future will depend on their training, and supporting them in everything they need to achieve their goals.
Within the Community of Madrid, Paulina was the first Roma woman to obtain a degree. This fact earnt her the Enrique Maya prize for entrepreneurship in 2013. Considered as an example to follow, she feels a deep respect and affection for the Roma culture, for the value given to the family and the love of the elderly. She has fought and continues to struggle daily so that the values of gypsy culture, and its identity, are not lost. She is convinced that integration into society is possible without renouncing their roots. Every change must come through the power of education, which is fundamental to developing skills and achieving personal freedom. Although much remains to be done, fortunately more and more Roma women succeed in life and are recognized within society. They already have a voice (many voices, actually). They just need visibility and channels through which to be heard.
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