Forced child marriage is one of the common types of human trafficking, spiralling out of the circle of poverty. A significant number of the child trafficking victims in North Macedonia are victims of trafficking for forced marriage, who are often sexually abused and exploited for their labour.

To raise public awareness about this crime in North Macedonia, Radio Pela is implementing the awareness raising initiative "Change Your Mind - Stay Out of the Vicious Circle”, supported by the EU and Council of Europe, aiming to reach out to the people of North Macedonia and inform them on the risks of child trafficking for the purpose of forced marriages. A radio drama and a theatre performance will be conducted by Radio Pela  aiming to reach local communities and raise their awareness on how to recognise and get alert about child trafficking for forced marriages. The “"Change Your Mind - Stay Out of the Vicious Circle”” initiative includes stories about the struggles of the victims of trafficking and the invisible chains, which are keeping these child victims of forced marriages in a vicious cycle difficult to break. The theatrical play will kick off on 18 October, at the occasion of the marking of the European Anti-trafficking Day.

This initiative is supported by the action on “Strengthening anti-trafficking action in North Macedonia”, part of the joint EU and Council of Europe programme ‘Horizontal Facility for the Western Balkans and Türkiye. It is assisting local actors in strengthening legislation, policy, and practice for effectively combating human trafficking, protecting the rights of victims, and responding to new challenges and trends.