On the International Day for the Elimination of Violence against Women, Roma girls in Serbia are “getting married” under the pretext that these marriages are a part of the tradition of the Roma community.  Child, early and forced marriages represent violation of the girls’ rights, they endanger their mental and physical health, expose them to a greater risk of domestic violence, lead to increased rates of school drop-out, and, later, to poverty and their economic dependence on a husband and the community. As such, they represent severe violation of women’s human rights.

Therefore, we would like to draw attention to the fact that it is necessary to prevent further neglect and abuse of girls who become victims of the emotional, mental and physical violence due to this harmful traditional practice. 

For more information, see the related announcement here.