The community meeting was held within the projects that implement with the financial support of UNHCR, The Town of Slavonski Brod, Government Office for Human Rights and Rights of National Minorities and the Ministry of justice, and with the aim of strengthening relations relevant for empowerment of Roma population for use of existing legal mechanisms in order to achieve and protect their rights.

The guests of the community meeting were Mrs. Zeljka Blazevac-Vlainic, medical practitioner, specialist of gynaecology, Mr. Igor Ivic-Hofman, medical practitioner, specialist of epidemiology, and Mrs. Marina Baric-Gacic, IPC’s legal adviser.

Natasa Kovacevic, IPC’s Executive Director opened and moderated the public meeting.

Twenty-four members of Roma women attended the public meeting as well as the representatives of the local media.

Mrs. Blazevac-Vlainic stated in her presentation that according to the statistics more than 50 percent of Roma women got married before 18 years, and that more than 30 percent of them deliver a baby between 15 to 18 years. She emphasized health issues that exists at the juvenile pregnancies, and invited all participants to regularly visit gynaecologists in order to follow up the path of the pregnancy so as to ensure the health of the mother and the child. Mrs. Blazevac-Vlainic highlighted that would be good to make a gap between each pregnancy so the body can recuperate. Moreover, she mentioned methods of available contraception and advised women to take care of their health.

G. Ivic-Hofman stressed the role of the Institute for the Public Health, their task is to detect what could be the problem and act preventively before the problem occurs. He accentuated the importance of the health illumination and how relevant is that health care employees go more often to the field and help the most endangered groups. Mr. Ivic-Hofman admonished that health insurance is the significant factor in order to achieve the quality of life so he cited all there insomuch they do not have health insurance to contact the Croatian Health Insurance Office and inform about the ways to obtain medical care.

Mrs. Baric-Gacic stressed the importance of birth registration immediately after child’s birth and which deadlines are in case if a baby is delivered at the house. Furthermore, she informed all about the procedures of obtaining the birth certificate, certificate of nationality, and obtaining the health card for the child. She mentioned to whom the parents can address so as to acquire the financial assistance for the newborn and invited all there to refer to the ILC office as far as some obscurities and questions and IPC’s employees will provide them legal assistance.

Frequently asked questions and comments were related to the contraceptives and its reliability.

In addition, the citizens were interested whether they have the right to the other medical opinion and selection of the gynaecologists in cases when they are dissatisfied with the current medical practitioner.

Participants expressed wish to have the Council of the Primary Health Care in their settlement as people will be more informed and take care on their health.

The guests of the public meeting tried to support the citizens with their advices and tried to direct them to whom they can address if they have some health issue.

The public meeting last hour and the half and all Roma women noticed that the Information Legal Center should proceed with the public meetings on this topic.