15 Bad ass Romani ladies you should know about:
1. Papusza (Bronislawa Wajs)
Papusza, born in 1910 to a Polish Romani family, was one of the first Romani authors. [Read more]
Woloch was born in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. She has published five books and her poetry has been featured in numerous publications. She was also a National Endowment for the Arts recipient. [Read More]
3. Ayo (Joy Olasunmibo Ogunmakin)
Ayo is Afro-Romani, born to a Nigerian father and a Romani mother. She is a European singer/song-writer and a self-taught musician. [Read more]
Dr. Sofia Kovalevskaya was born in Moscow to a Polish father and a German and Romani mother. She was the first major female mathematician in Russia and made numerous contributions to modern mathematics. [Read more]
5. Ceija Stojka
Stojka was born in Austria to a Lovari Romani family. She is a Holocaust survivor who was interned at both Auschwitz and Bergen-Belsen. She has published several books and her art has been featured in several European galleries. [Read more]
Lackova was a Slovakian Romani author. She was a graduate of the Charles University in Prague and an advocate for Romani education. [Read more]
Salazar is a Spanish Romani singer and a member of the world famous duo, Azúcar Moreno. She is also a breast cancer survivor. [Read more]
8. Hedina Tahirović Sijerčić
Sijerčić is a Bosnian Romani author, poet and university graduate. She was also the first Romani television and radio producer in Bosnia-Herzegovina. [Read more]
Merkouri is a singer who was born in Athens to a Greek father and a Romani mother. [Read more]
Taikon is a Swedish Romani actress and author. [Read more]
Azdovic was born in Skopje, Macedonia and was a Romani actress. She was featured in Black Cat, White Cat and Dom Za Vešanje. After being the victim of racially motivated threats, she sought political asylum in France. [Read more]
Carmen Amaya was born in Barcelona, Spain and became one of the best known Flamenco dancers in the world. [Read more]
Cher Lloyd is a half Romany singer and a former contestant on The X Factor. After becoming famous, Lloyd was the victim of threats and bullying due to her ethnicity. [Read more]
Franz was a Sinti Romani author and a recipient of the Federal Cross for Merits, the highest civilian award in Germany. She was also the first Romani to receive this award. She was a survivor of Auschwitz. [Read more]
Mohacsi is a Hungarian Romani politician and a former member of the European Parliament. She dedicated much of her efforts to desegregation of European Romani. She had to seek police protection due to threats of violence and eventually was forced to apply for asylum in Canada. [Read more]