The Roma—commonly knows as Gypsies—are the largest ethnic group in Europe, numbering more than 8 million. They are also one of the most deprived minorities in the region, where their fundamental rights continue to be infringed upon. And yet, the more threatened the Roma have felt, the stronger they have held to their customs—among them child marriage, a practice that, in May, eight European countries joined the European Union in passing laws against.

On August 28, 2004, NPR’s “Weekend Edition” program featured a segment on Gyuila and Marika Vamosi, a Roma couple who married as children and who now head up Hungary-based ARANJ—Organization for Roma/Gypsy Women's Rights. OSI’s Network Women’s Program provided support for ARANJ to organize a national media campaign addressing Roma women’s issues in Hungary, including prearranged early marriages, the cult of virginity, sexual taboos and their harmful effects on society, women’s role in Romani culture, and health and sexual education for Romani girls and boys.

Listen to NPR's "Roma Confront Europe's Ban on Child Marriages".