Preconditions for Employment for Roma: Ethnically sensitive data collection Susanne Milcher Specialist, Poverty and Economic Development Specialist, Poverty and Economic Development UNDP Regional Centre Bratislava (25 April 2005)

Europe and CIS Outline n General problems with ethnic data n Why is ethnic data needed? n Data collection systems n Ethnic data in practice n Policy application n Ideas for Guidelines

Europe and CIS Problems with ethnic data n Governments reluctant to collect –Political considerations –Constitutional constraints n Constituencies reluctant to share –Desire to avoid discrimination and stigmatization –Desire to keep distance from the state As a result: n Absence of ethnic data creates opportunities to misuse and misinterpret data deficits n Data might still be collected and used with negative effects (i.e. criminal justice)

Europe and CIS Why is ethnic data needed? n Measurement of discrimination (indirect) or equal treatment - data recording and collection - indicators demonstrating differentials and assessment of their extent and variations (“How much” worse is the status and what are the specific characteristics of their status) - set quantified objectives for promoting equality - set quantified objectives for promoting equality

Europe and CIS Why is ethnic data needed? Reliable quality quantitative data is a necessary precondition both for understanding the underlying causes of the differentials and addressing them adequately by relevant policies. It means data, which is: n Relevant, adequately reflecting reality n Comparable – both between countries and with majority populations (control group) in individual countries – over time n Respecting privacy – making sure will not be misused, individual is protected against discrimination

Europe and CIS How to collect ethnic data? n Relevancy – related primarily to communities involvement in data collection (Roma interviewers where possible, assistant interviewers in other cases) n Comparability – applying consistent methodologies in different countries following the format HBS and LFS n Include majority boosters n Respecting privacy – not using registry data

Europe and CIS Data collection systems n Data protection of sensitive data (fear of misuse and discrimination) - but it is needed in order to identify discrimination and its causes - identify particular disadvantages and obstacles that Roma in labour market face – supply of data is absolutely needed to dispel the deep-seated myths n Instruments (census, surveys, registries) - understate Roma, costly and difficult sampling, unreliable and imperfect data

Europe and CIS Roma: Unemployment (ILO definition) Source: UNDP, Vulnerable groups survey 2004.

Europe and CIS Serbia: Unemployment rate Source: UNDP, Vulnerable groups survey 2004.

Europe and CIS Macedonia: Unemployment rate Source: UNDP, Vulnerable groups survey 2004.

Europe and CIS Determinants of unemployment Unemployed Roma in specific countries as a percentage of the population, organised by selected categories (2004) Characteristics% unemployed Bulgaria Czech Republic HungaryRomania Youth (15-24) Prime age adults (25-44) Older adults (45-59) Elementary or less Primary Secondary Universityn.a Source: UNDP, Vulnerable groups survey 2004.

Europe and CIS Policy application n Only based on quantitative data can the actors involved (governments, donors, implementing partners) outline priorities and measure progress n Disaggregated quantitative data is a precondition for relevant national-level policies for sustainable inclusion of vulnerable groups and Roma in particular n Monitoring and evaluation of national-level policies, what impact has been achieved?

Europe and CIS Ideas for Guidelines 1. Need capacity of statistical institutions to provide necessary guarantees 2. Legal framework: in order to create a balance between need to identify discrimination or status differences and protection of privacy (individual data) high level safeguards are a precondition 3. Use existing data collection systems, using a common approach (harmonisation) 4. Cooperation and partnership between data producers and users 5. Standards for collected data (reliability, consistency, usefulness)

Europe and CIS Ideas for Guidelines Based on recommendations of the first Experts’ Group meeting, July 2004: The Census should be the instrument to collect ethnic data but n Method improvement: partnership with local communities, instructions n Self-Identification: Multiple choice question on ethnicity; adding question on religion, language, partner’s ethnicity or country of birth; origin HBS/LFS can only partially be used to collect ethnic data n Better than administrative registries n Sampling difficult

Europe and CIS Thank you! Bratislava Regional Center 35 Grosslingova Bratislava, Slovak Republic