On the 24th of February, an activist of Roma community appeared on the cover of Wysokie Obcasy – the most opinionated weekly magazine in Poland addressed to women. This is Olena Vaidalovych from the Foundation Towards Dialogue. The picture is accompanied by the caption: “I am a Roma woman. I am able to do everything!”. Readers can find 4-page interview inside. “This is a groundbreaking front cover that must be followed by subsequent ones. It’s time for the Roma community to establish a permanent presence in media by taking over the narrative and dispelling stereotypes about themselves,” says Cecylia Jakubczak, Head of Communication at the Foundation Towards Dialogue.
In an interview with Paula Szewczyk Olena Vaidalovych shares, inter alia, her childhood experiences: “My first childhood memory is like this: I’m on a playground, playing with other girls, and mother (of that girls) comes up and takes them away. At the same time she says something like “She is Roma, you can’t play with her’ (…)” – recalls Olena in the interview. The conversation continues around the topic of education and the support that activist got from her mother, but also about the discrimination that Olena as Roma experienced in her studies and first job. The interview ends with the topic of the war in Ukraine and her work in the Foundation Towards Dialogue, as well as about the Roma Community Center managed by the organization.
We work to build a bridge between Roma and Poles. We have created a safe space in Warsaw to meet, to get to know each other, and simply spend time together,” says Olena, who serves as a senior legal and advocacy advisor at the Foundation.
Groundbreaking cover
The Wysokie Obcasy cover accompanied by a 4-page interview is a breakthrough in Polish media. Although the voice of Roma experts, such as Joanna Talewicz – co-founder of the Foundation Towards Dialogue – is increasingly heard, previously no Roma activist in Poland had appeared on the cover of the magazine.
“This is a groundbreaking cover story that must be followed by others. It’s time for the Roma community to make a permanent presence in the media by taking over the narrative and debunking stereotypes about themselves,” says Cecilia Jakubczak, Head of Communication at the Foundation Towards Dialogue.
Wysokie Obcasy is a magazine published since 1999 by Gazeta Wyborcza that over the years has become the most opinion-forming magazine in Poland addressed to women. The magazine is read by ambitious, curious about the world and socially engaged women who are looking for original content. The magazine gives a sense of participation in a women’s community, inspiring the realization of dreams and plans. For readers of Wysokie Obcasy, both career and family life are important. That is why an important part of the magazine are topics related to women’s rights, personal development, psychology, health and ecology. Wysokie Obcasy is also an online service.
