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Regional Conference on the Prevention of Forced Marriage and Human Trafficking for Forced Marriage

Skopje, North Macedonia 10–12 September 2025

 

From 10–12 September 2025, Open Gate/La Strada North Macedonia and La Strada International, with the support of the Embassy of France in North Macedonia, hosted the Regional Conference on the Prevention of  Forced Marriage: National and European Perspectives in Skopje.

The three-day conference gathered over 70 representatives from North Macedonia, the Western Balkans, and across Europe, including public institutions, international organizations, civil society actors, and survivors. Together, they reflected and shared experience and best practices  around three central themes in relation to (trafficking for the exploitation of) forced marriage: Innovative preventive approaches and awareness; Holistic support and referral systems for victims and Effective legislation, policies, and promising practices. 

Spotlight on the Campaign

The event was held in parallel with the ongoing regional awareness campaign “I Do Not Consent to Forced Marriage”, which runs from 30 July to 18 October 2025. The campaign aims to raise awareness about forced marriage as a form of violence and exploitation, encourage reporting, and highlight survivors’ voices. Early results of the campaign were presented during the conference, showcasing its reach and impact across the region.

 

Why This Matters

Forced marriage, as well as child marriage, is a longstanding and deeply rooted practice that continues to pose significant legal and social challenges worldwide.  Forced Marriage can be linked to the act of human trafficking when the marriage is used to recruit a person for the purpose of exploitation. Moreover, physical, and sexual violence and threats of violence are often used forms of coercion, next to abduction, fraud, deception, abuse of a position of vulnerability, to force in particular women or girls, to marry. 

According to the analysis and case studies conducted by Open Gate/La Strada North Macedonia, child and forced marriages remain a serious and persistent issue in the country, particularly among marginalized communities affected by poverty, low levels of education, and social exclusion. Girls from Roma communities and rural areas are especially vulnerable. Many are drawn into informal unions without their consent, leaving them without legal rights or adequate protection. Also outside North Macedonia, across all regions of Europe, forced marriages are happening, though the scale, visibility, and response vary significantly by country. Hence preventive legislative and policy measures are taken. 

Recent European legislative developments, such as the revised EU Anti-Trafficking Directive (2024) and the EU law on combating violence against women (2024), strengthen obligations for states to criminalize forced marriage and ensure victim protection. However, challenges remain in enforcement and in addressing the socio-cultural and economic drivers behind the practice.

A Step Forward

The Skopje conference provided a platform for exchanging research findings, sand best practices,
including the promotion of survivor voices and the use of art and participatory research, while
building regional and European cooperation to strengthen prevention, protection, and advocacy.
Importantly, the discussions led to concrete follow-up actions, including commitments to:

•  Improve national referral systems for victims of forced marriage and trafficking,
•  Enhance survivor-led advocacy and participation in policy development,
•  Strengthen cross-border cooperation in prevention and victim protection,
•  Share lessons learned with EU and accession countries to align legal frameworks and
  practices.

The conference also marked a milestone in celebrating 25 years of Open Gate/La Strada’s work in
defending human rights and protecting victims of trafficking and exploitation.

This important initiative was made possible with the support of the Embassy of France in North
Macedonia

You can follow our work on social media and support the campaign run by Open Gate and La Strada
International #IDoNotConsentToForcedMarriage to help raise awareness and strengthen the fight
against forced and child marriages.