School dropout and early marriage discussed in Mostar

Mostar, October 3, 2024 – Today the OSCE Mission in Bosnia and Herzegovina (Mission) organized a roundtable discussion on school dropout and early marriage in Mostar with the aim of improving the integration of Roma in the Herzegovina-Neretva Canton.

The roundtable, which served as a platform to discuss challenges related to school dropout and early marriage, brought together representatives from the HNC Roma Action Plan Monitoring and Implementation Team, the HNC Coordinating Body for Combating and Preventing Trafficking in Persons, the HNC Ministry of Education , Science, Culture and Sports, social welfare centers from the HNC region, schools with Roma children and local police administrations. Representatives of the “Romska Ženska Mreža” presented findings from Roma communities in BiH, while the Coordination Body shared its findings from the past two years.

The event is related to the Cantonal Local Action Plan (AP) for Improving the Position of Roma in the Canton of Herzegovina-Neretva (HNC) (2021-2024), which was adopted by the HNC government in October 2020. The AP includes measures in education, health, social welfare, housing, employment, and strengthening Roma communities and civil society organizations. While HNC’s annual reports highlight progress in communicating with Roma communities, systematic data collection on Roma needs and efforts to educate Roma children and prevent street begging still require continued efforts. The protection of Roma children in particular requires special attention.

Although reports indicate that many Roma experience various forms of human trafficking, including forced labor, sexual exploitation, forced begging and child marriage, Roma children are a particularly vulnerable group. To improve their protection, early school dropouts and early marriage have been identified as key issues that require a more systematic response from relevant actors and authorities. Roma children often face systemic discrimination, which significantly hinders their educational outcomes, resulting in high dropout rates. This in turn limits their chances of accessing decent work, leaving many school leavers vulnerable to street begging and other forms of exploitation. Likewise, despite its formal criminalization, child marriage still occurs in some communities where traditional practices are abused, further contributing to the cycle of disadvantage and exploitation that Roma children face.

The Mission commends the productive discussion that led to relevant recommendations, including the involvement of Roma community mediators, school assistants and conscious social service providers. The Mission remains committed to working with authorities and civil society organizations to address these important issues.