Virginity and early marriage customs in relation to children's rights among Chergashe Roma from Serbia and Bosnia

Abstract

Early marriage and virginity at marriage for girls is not a unique legacy of some Roma groups. In fact, only 50 years ago it was more or less common to expect a bride to be a virgin and to marry relatively young in many European societies, perhaps more so in rural and more conservative areas. However, in comparison to their host societies, the practice of early marriage remains relatively prevalent in many Romani communities. It is argued that simplistic explanations which blame Romani groups for not assimilating to a more ‘modern’ culture are incorrect and morally wrong. It is rather a system of very complex historical, social and economic circumstances that has led to a more conservative standpoint regarding early marriage. Furthermore, these standpoints differ among heterogeneous Romani groups. This article explores the connection between early marriage customs in one specific Romani group – the Chergashe – and children's rights, as defined by the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child (UN CRC). Interviews were conducted with 35 Romani adolescents and women from Serbia and Bosnia, of which 18 participants lived as migrants in Germany for a longer period of time. With the addition of information from relevant documents and reports to the original data, this article discusses the specific position of a number of Romani girls and women with respect to early marriage customs and UN CRC rights.