Appearances of multiple disadvantages in Gypsy/Romani women's labour narratives

In the context of women's experiences of labour, as evident in the narratives of Gypsy/Roma women, the discussion of labour requires consideration alongside other disadvantages. Thus, this thesis takes an intersectional approach to the experiences of Gypsy/Roma women in contexts of poverty, social exclusion, ethnicity and gender. The study aims to explore the specific experiences of women and the meanings inherent in these experiences as revealed through the narratives of individuals facing multiple disadvantages. It was conducted through semi-structured in-depth interviews with 60 female interviewees selected by purposive sampling in Edirne province and its districts and villages. In addition to these interviews, interviews with three men who were involved in the fieldwork and who contributed to the process of reaching the participants were also used as secondary data. The interview notes and field observations were analysed in relation to each other. Focusing on women's labour, this study aims to highlight the various disadvantages impacting labour dynamics and the basis on which these disadvantages manifest. Based on field observations and prominent discourses in the labour narratives of the interviewees, the following issues come to the fore: interpretations of early marriages; problems related to access to health; participation in precarious and irregular employment at an early age; social exclusion; poverty; the relationship between socialisation and space; experiences related to rural/urban life; migration narratives; domestic labour; care labour; and motherhood experiences, especially education. A lack of access to education, early marriage and experiences shaped by gender roles, as well as socialisation experiences prevented by exclusion and poverty, are all factors that influence women's labour processes. In this context, Gypsy/Roma women demand a life without discrimination or poverty-based barriers to education. They want to transform early marriages through education and related socialisation. They want to experience public life as equal citizens and have regular, secure employment. Their own questioning of existing problems, solution suggestions and future expectations, as individuals who experience these conditions, are meaningful in terms of providing an approach to studies and policies developed from primary experiences.