From Multiple Deprivation to Success Educational Careers of Ten Roma and Gypsy women

Roma and Gypsy women in Europe suffer from multiple deprivation: because of their cultural/ethnic traditions, their social situation and their sex/gender. Despite this Roma and Gypsy women are in Hungary (as well as in other countries) more successful in the education system than men. The article analyses the success of ten Roma/Gypsy women, who have come from a background of multiple deprivation but managed to make educational careers in the Hungarian school system. The analysis is focused on the question: “Which factors had an influence on their success?” The empirical analysis is based on biographical narrative interviews which were made by the author in 2012 in Pécs and Budapest. The study shows that all women had a very strong learning motivation and were ready to have conflicts with the traditional female role model. Their parents and teachers played mostly a very positive role in this success, but the most important factor was their own learning motivation.