ABSTRACT
In the social sciences, there is a notable neglect of publications by Romani, Gypsies, and Travellers. The structural racism of academic institutions and a history of cultural exclusions and inferiorization have conspired to keep Gypsy knowledge in a state of invisibility. The same applies to mainstream gender studies, as most women academics ignore RGT contributions; the existence of specific forms of gender activism and feminism are virtually unheard of. To appreciate the contributions of Roma feminism, Gadje women need to activate non-dichotomous ways of thinking, interrogating their own privileges in terms of race, status, and class. They need to deconstruct patterns of knowledge and recognize the locatedness of their experience and relations, which are still based substantially on colonial categories of perception, methodologies, relations, and political priorities. This section of the book also looks at reflections about knowledge production, identity, and the importance of feminists and Halfies: ‘people whose national or cultural identity is mixed by virtue of migration, overseas education, or parentage,’ as theorized by Lila Abu-Lughod (1991) and Ethel Broks (2015).
