Right to a Future project increased Roma women and other marginalized women and girls to enjoy their rights to live free from violence, discrimination and harmful norms including child, early and forced marriage practices (CEFM), with the support of their families, male peers, Roma and non-Roma communities, and local and national governments in five local communities in BiH: Tuzla, Prnjavor, Doboj, Visoko and Kakanj. This was achieved with assistance and by local sub-grantees organizations utilizing two CARE’s tested models: Program E and Community Score Card through which:
• Marginalized youth, primarily Roma boys and girls, built their capacities and recognize the cause-and-effect relationship between traditional gender norms and harmful practices and advocate for change,
• Parents, teachers, media and key community actors are empowered to challenge, together with young people, patriarchal attitudes that support harmful practices such as gender-based violence, trafficking in human beings and CEFM,
• Representatives of local authorities and local Roma communities have developed a better mutual understanding of each other and of the specific needs of each group. Through joint discussions and collaborative problem-solving, closer and more constructive relationships have been built.
• Strengthened Roma women’s civil society organizations (members of the Roma Women’s Network ‘Success’) through capacity building and 3 sessions on mental health. Additionally, 20 sessions in five local communities were delivered on mental health, prevention of child and forced marriages, including over 200 free psychotherapy sesssions provided for members of the network as well as Roma community members.
Between the law and real life, a protection mechanism for girls at risk of child and forced marriages in Bosnia and Herzegovina has been developed and will be publicly available for use by relevant stakeholders. In addition, two policy papers have been developed to support advocacy efforts; one in area of education and the other on the mentioned intervention mechanism both documents aiming to protect and prevent child and forced marriages.
