At the international level, fruitful efforts have been made in enhancing Roma women’s education pathways (Alexiadou, 2019; Valero et al., 2020). According to the European Framework for National Roma Integration Strategies, there is a need to strengthen links between educational institutions and the Roma communities (European Commission, 2011). This paper explores key aspects of how community discourse targeting the educational participation and success of Roma women is constructed. In particular, we examine “Roma women student gatherings”, an annual gathering organised by the Romani Association of Women “Drom Kotar Mestipen”, which has been working for the improvement of Roma women living conditions, and their access to quality education for over 20 years (Aiello et al., 2019). On the 20th anniversary of the association, we researched this gathering in which more than 400 Roma women took part. For the first time in the history of the association, the main hall of the University of Barcelona opened its doors to host the event. Our study examines the narratives of seven Roma women (aged 22 to 56) who shared their experience of participation in higher education and identified the rationales and drivers that shaped their academic pathways. The Roma community considers these women as role models since they have defended their Roma identity while succeeding in different academic fields. From this position, they took a stand to promote younger Roma women’s education. The study has identified four main narratives in the experiences of these women, articulated in: a) hopes for a better future, b) significance of family support, c) the pleasure of knowledge acquisition, and, d) the institutional support needed in Roma policies for widening participation in HE. These results are consistent with the equality- inclusion- participation discourses that the EU Roma Strategic Framework employs. Moreover, our results address specific challenges identified in the Spanish National Roma Integration Strategy (UNESCO, 2016) and can stimulate discussion on necessary policy development. The findings are also aligned with international research that contributes to a better understanding of the social and educational transformation needed to improve the lives of vulnerable populations (Gómez et al., 2019).

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