A TRAVELLER girl has spoken out to “clear up” some of the misconceptions she often hears about the gypsy community.
Charlotte Ann, 30, who is single and has a job in the health and social sector, has hit back at certain stereotypes and revealed what life is really like for traveller and gypsy women – joking that she’s not “chained to the stove” like people wrongly assume.
In the clip shared to TikTok (@charlotteann00), she begins by explaining that the biggest misconception she hears is that traveller and gypsy women have never worked.
“I work full time in the health and social sector but let’s forget about me for a second,” she says.
“Many many moons ago, traveller and gypsy women – no they didn’t work in the conventional sense of working, but they used to have to go out and sell heather, and they used to have to go and get the price of food for that day.
“So the concept of work is not a modern aspect of the traveller and gypsy community – it’s been going on since time began, with the women.”
However, many other gypsy women took to the comments section and argued that staying at home and looking after the kids and cleaning should be classed as “work,” too.
“Since when is raising children and taking care of a home NOT work. That’s ridiculous,” argued one.
A second penned: “Unpopular opinion, its a misogynistic view that not working out of the home ISN’T work. The hardest work I’ve ever done has been in the home!”
Next up, Charlotte Ann goes on to reveal whether traveller men and women really aren’t allowed to mix and speak with each other.
“This is true and untrue – so let me explain,” she says.
“If there was a big group of strange men, me as a woman, I’m not going to go and sit with them in the middle of that conversation because I don’t want to.
“But for instance, if I was sitting there and there was a big group of women who were chatting, my brother and my uncles would never have walked over either and started sitting in the middle of a group of women because we’re traditional, we’re old school, we have old values.
“On the dance floor at a wedding, you see the boys and girls dancing, whatever, but when all the men are sitting chatting and all the women are sitting chatting, they do it separately – it works both ways.”
Charlotte Ann goes on to explain that when it comes to living at home, both boys and girls live at home until they’re married – adding that neither pay rent.
“It’s a cultural thing – whatever money we make is our own,” she explains.
“Our family don’t expect rent, and yes I already know it’s a privilege.”
She then proceeds to discuss the assumption that if she ever got married, she’d need permission from her parents.
“You don’t need to be married at a certain age,” she explains.
“You don’t have to get married – it’s a cultural norm you get married younger, but you don’t have to.
“I’m 30 years of age and live at home. My mum’s not going to send me out to get married to someone because I’m 30.”
Charlotte-Ann proceeds to say that even at her age, she can’t just go on girl’s holidays.
“My mum is very old fashioned and she doesn’t believe in it,” she says.
“I know girls who do believe in it but mine personally, don’t, it’s a safety thing.
“She feels anxious – like, am I safe? And yes, I let her make this decision because it’s a respect thing, it’s not fear like I have to do it, it’s a respect ting because she’s my mother.
“She brought me up.
“I have independence, I have a social life, I have a job – I just have a lot closer family unit sometimes than non-travellers.”
It wasn’t long before the post went viral, racking up thousands of likes and comments from social media users.
“My nanny use to make pegs and baskets to sell she also made paper flowers she use to teach us when we were children,” recalled one.
A second penned: “When I was growing up (80s baby) my Gramps used to buy Heather from the gypsy women & take carrots so I could feed the ponies. It’s one of my favourite memories.”
A third commented: “So I remember the ladies selling heather, pegs and lucky stones my mum used to always buy said she’d be cursed if not.”
Meanwhile, a fourth noted: “Absolutely love watching your vids and learning about your culture, keep smiling beautiful!”
