Designed on the basis of a needs assessment methodology already employed successfully in the first global assessment of the needs of the Romani population in Macedonia, the analysis in Serbia and Montenegro was designed with the intention that the report resulting from it could serve in turn as the basis for Sida’s work with Roms in Serbia and Montenegro. Like ECMI’s activities with Roms in Macedonia, the underlying aim of the needs assessment in Serbia and Montenegro was to increase Roms’ level of integration into the society of the Union as a whole by equipping them with the resources needed for playing an effective role in a democratic society based on the rule of law as well as for participating successfully in a competitive labour market.

The findings of the analysis illustrate the complex and multi-faceted nature of Roms’ marginalization, with the comparative disadvantage of Romani internally displaced persons (IDPs) manifesting itself in high unemployment and non-realization of various civil rights. Additionally, while education was not among the core areas of the analysis, the field research undertaken in preparing the analysis also made clear the central role of Roms’ low levels of educational attainment in explaining their disadvantage across the core areas. In similar fashion, the overall disadvantage of Romani women relative to their male counterparts stems in large part from differences in educational attainment.