We just moved another step closer to ending child marriage in America.
Massachusetts Rep. Kay Khan and Sen. Harriette Chandler today introduced legislation we at Unchained At Last helped to write, similar to legislation we’ve written in other states. If you live in Massachusetts, email your legislators and the governor here to urge them to pass HD2205/SD974. If you live outside of Massachusetts, see below for ways you can help.
Human-Rights Abuse
Child marriage is a human-rights abuse that undermines girls’ health, education and economic opportunities and increases their risk of experiencing violence. Often, too, child marriage is forced marriage: Children can easily be forced into marriage or forced to stay in a marriage, because they face overwhelming legal and practical barriers if they try to leave home, access a shelter, retain an attorney or bring a legal action.
Yet, while most states set 18 as the minimum marriage age, exceptions in every state allow those under 18 to marry. In Massachusetts, a court can approve the marriage of a child of any age, with the parents’ consent. As a result, nearly 1,200 children as young as 14 were married in Massachusetts between 2000 and 2014 – and 84 percent of them were girls wed to adult men.
The Solution
Unchained has helped to write legislation in several states to end child marriage. In Massachusetts, HD2205/SD974 would eliminate all marriage before 18, with no exceptions. A companion bill, HD2263/SD975, would protect children at risk of being taken to another jurisdiction for a forced marriage.
If You’re Not From Massachusetts
Wherever you live, you can help end child marriage in America:
- If you live in New Jersey, New York or Maryland, email your legislators to urge them to pass pending or soon-to-be-introduced legislation to end child marriage.
- Join an upcoming Chain-In to protest forced and child marriage. The next Chain-In is scheduled for February 14 in Albany.
- Support Unchained financially. Even a small donation makes a huge difference to a woman or a girl fleeing a forced marriage.
- Stay updated on news about forced marriage in the U.S. “Like” Unchained on Facebook and follow Unchained on Twitter.
- Volunteer your time to help a woman or a girl who is facing a forced marriage. Unchained relies on the kindness of pro bono attorneys, psychotherapists and others.