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Over time, society has faced various forms of discrimination. Since the enslavement of people of color or racism against Jews, discrimination has been and is still present in our lives and continues to influence our thinking as well as our actions. After presenting a brief literature review on types of discrimination, we focused our paper on the discrimination of the Roma population. Thus, in Romanian society, there are many stereotypes about the Roma population and their negative way of behaving such as: the Roma are poor and they like to beg for money, they lack education. In this regard, this paper aims to evaluate the way the Romanian online media presents the Roma population in order to find out to what extent does the media maintain and promote these stereotypes. Using content analysis as method of research, we conducted a research on online articles and news from the official websites of several Romanian television channels. Our findings reveal that through the news and information it circulates online, media generally spreads opinions against the Roma population. Most often Roma are referred to as ”gypsies”, and most news present negative information about them. Even more, our study also reveals that, in the online environment, the media scarcely pays attention to the situations in which Roma are victims of discrimination. Considering this findings, in order to help Roma improve their current situation in Romania and improve the perception about them, educational campaigns should be implemented and conducted through the help of media channels. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The present paper is proposing to present the main aspects in connection with discrimination and local governance. Is there discrimination present at local public administration level? What forms does discrimination take at the local level? Do we have enough leverages to fight against discrimination? There are just a few questions to answer to in our study, and we will try to find and to analyze a few case studies to underline the current situation in Romania, at local level. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Women represent approximately half of the global human capital but continue to remain one the most underutilized resources since their contribution to economic development is hindered by various barriers. Sustainable economic growth can only be achieved by fully allowing women to become economically empowered meaning to have equal access to jobs as men, being equally paid, and having the same opportunities and chances to be promoted to higher positions. The present paper approaches the manner in which women contribute to economic development by focusing on female participation in the labor market as well as on the positive externalities generated by female employment. In addition, the study focuses on the effects of the gender pay gap on the ability of women to contribute to economic development and pays particular attention to the situation in Lebanon, a developing country with a frail economy where women face various forms of labor discrimination and Romania, a country with a better situation regarding gender equality and the gender pay gap. The main findings of the study reveal the importance of addressing the gender pay gap through changes in legislation, public policies, and public services providing in order to help at boosting the economies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Demographic exploration within sustainable local development is pivotal for understanding associative entities in a specific region. This study delves into Romania's demographic views, with a focal point on Local Action Groups (LAGs) in Central Dobrogea. Associative entities encompass political parties, non-governmental associations, agricultural cooperatives, and LAGs, serving as catalysts for positive change, policy influence, and community resilience. This research analyzes 177 respondents' data using SPSS, finding no significant associations between age/gender and participation in associative entities. The work emphasizes the potential influence of demographic characteristics, particularly age and gender, on individuals' perceptions, priorities, and participation in these entities. Age shapes perceptions of socio-economic issues, while gender influences perspectives within the context of sustainable local development. Consequently, this study provides insights into the demographic dynamics of associative entity participation, highlighting their enduring relevance in shaping a more sustainable and resilient local community. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In Romania, local stakeholders' knowledge plays a role in making decisions for emergencies, supporting rescue officers in natural hazard events, coordinating, and assisting the affected populations physically and psychologically. However, despite the increasing occurrence and severity of natural hazards in the Iași metropolitan area (of north-eastern Romania), there is a lack of knowledge of local stakeholders on how to encourage the population regarding safety actions. For this reason, we interviewed 118 local stakeholders to determine their risk awareness and preparedness capacities over a set of natural hazards, in order to understand where deficiencies in knowledge, action, and trust are greatest. Results reveal substantial distinctions between different threats and among stakeholders based on their cognitive and behavioural roles in the communities. The roles of responsibility and trust are important driving factors shaping their perception and preparedness. Preparedness levels are low, and, for many, learning and preparatory actions are needed to build resilience to the negative occurrences of natural hazards. As the stakeholders' role is to direct interventions in affected areas by managing communication initiatives with the entire population of the community, there is a need to create stakeholders' networks, empowering local actors and serving as a bridge between authorities' decisions and local people, making effective risk management plans, and securing more lives and economies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]