Working Life: Many Roma women had never had a cervical screening test before

Gina Miyagawa, Roma health co-ordinator, Cork Kerry Community Healthcare

Fri, 04 Jul, 2025 - 01:00

Catherine Shanahan

“I feel fortunate to have a job just 15 minutes from home. It allows lots of time in the morning with my grandchild, Jayden. We chat about his plans for the day and brainstorm fun things to do together when I get back from work.

“At the office, I love to greet everyone with a big smile.

“On Mondays, I get to host ‘coffee morning’ sessions with amazing members of the local Roma community. It’s such a lovely opportunity to chat about important health and wellbeing topics. Lately, we’ve been focusing on health issues that affect women specifically, and brainstorming ways to get more information out there.

“I recently held two sessions about cervical cancer screening, sexual health, and HPV vaccination, and they were a hit. Many Roma women had never had a cervical screening test before, so we took the time to talk about why it’s important, dispelling some myths about cervical screening. I emphasised how essential it is to choose screening when invited and I shared resources in Romanian from the CervicalCheck website, which made it easy for everyone to grasp.

“The most effective action women aged 25 to 65 can take to prevent cervical cancer is to #ChooseScreening and come for follow-up appointments if advised. Women can go to any GP practice or clinic registered with CervicalCheck for their free screening test.

“After the morning sessions, we go for a walk together. I recently started a group for women called ‘Walk Your Heart Healthy’. We meet every Monday, sometimes Tuesday, if the weather is nice, and stroll a couple of miles while sharing laughs.

“Back at the office, I have some prep work to do for the National Action Plan Against Racism (NAPAR) Advisory Committee, which I’m excited to be a part of. It’s a chance for me to share ideas on how we can improve policies, especially those that address anti-Roma racism.

“I enjoy catching up with colleagues. Recently, I had a lovely chat with a colleague about launching a programme called “Healthy Foods Made Easy” with Roma women in the community.

“Back home, I cherish the moments I spend with my grandchild. Whether we’re whipping up a traditional family recipe or trying something completely new, he always has innovative ideas.”