The practice of child marriages in Bosnia and Herzegovina represents a serious social issue, further complicated by the lack of statistical data and systemic organization, especially in terms of punishing those who force children into such unions, reports the Klix.ba portal.
Although, according to Klix, the problem of child marriages was previously primarily associated with Roma communities, where underage girls were sold under the guise of tradition for specific sums of money, this issue has now extended beyond these communities. “Such children often become victims of human trafficking, and experiences show that irresponsible parents are now arranging marriages for boys as well,” the report states.
This issue was discussed during a roundtable in Tuzla, organized by the OSCE Mission to Bosnia and Herzegovina. Participants reportedly examined the legal and social aspects of identifying and understanding the phenomenon of child marriages in the context of Bosnia and Herzegovina and the Tuzla Canton.
Trading One’s Daughter for a Bottle of Brandy
The Roma Women’s Association “Better Future” from Tuzla emphasized that child marriages are a severe social problem, citing specific cases from practice. The president of the association, Indira Bajramović, highlighted incidents where a mother sold her daughter for 3,000 convertible marks (€1,533), another exchanged her daughter for a sheep, while one father traded his daughter for a bottle of brandy, Klix reports.
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“When a girl enters such a union, she is expected to take on the roles of an adult woman, becomes a mother early, does not finish her education, and as a result, is not competitive in the labor market. Essentially, we are depriving these children of their childhood. It is important to note that such marriages are no longer happening only in Roma communities but also in others. Moreover, there has been a recent increase in child marriages within non-Roma communities,” Bajramović stated.
Boys Also Forced Into Child Marriages
According to Klix, past experiences show that not only girls but also boys are being forced into child marriages. Centers for social work play a key role in preventing this phenomenon, as they often receive information about potential agreements for child marriages.
“We had a report against a parent who facilitated the arrangement of a child marriage. The verdict was a conviction with a prison sentence. Another case showed that through other cases and social assistance, we managed to uncover the existence of a child marriage, after which we acted in cooperation with the police,” said the director of the Lukavac Center for Social Work, Amira Hodžić.