Survey of the well-being of Roma children and youth and the realisation of their rights in Finland

The survey will collect up-to-date experiences on the well-being of Roma children and youth and the realisation of their rights in Finland. The experiences will be collected by interviewing the children and young people, as well as with an electronic questionnaire drawn up on the basis of the interviews. The survey will cover Roma children and young people aged 11–17 and will be implemented in cooperation with the National Advisory Board on Romani Affairs, local Romani communities and the children and young people themselves. 

The surveys will include children and young people from different parts of Finland. Regional differences are great in Finland, and it is to be expected that life is different in cities and in the countryside, for example. 

The survey will discuss well-being and the realisation of rights in terms understandable to children and young people and from their perspective. 

Interviews of Roma children and youth in the spring of 2022

The interviews of Roma children and youth are currently under way. The participants have been found through local Romani communities. We aim to conduct 20 themed interviews in different parts of Finland. Children and young people can take part in the interviews alone, in pairs or in groups of three.

The interviews will be conducted by Senior Researcher Elina Weckström, Research Assistant Karri Kekkonen and Planning Officer Outi Kekkonen. 

Questionnaire for Roma children and youth in the spring of 2022

Based on the interviews, a questionnaire form will be drawn up of the key issues brought up by the children and young people with regard to well-being and the realisation of their rights. 

We hope that the questionnaire will be completed by many 11–17-year-old Roma children and young people from all parts of Finland.

Results

See the publications

The results of these surveys will help decision-makers, researchers and professionals working with Roma children get up-to-date information to support their decision-making, development and activities.

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In 2009, the Office of the Ombudsman for Children conducted a survey of the well-being of Roma children and the realisation of their rights. Roma children and young people were interviewed for the survey.

Junkala, Pekka & Tawah, Sanna 2009. More Similar than Different: The Welfare of Roma Children and Youth and the Realization of their Rights in Finland. Publications of the Office of the Ombudsman for Children 2009:2. (Publication in Finnish; Summary in English, p. 7).