The scene outside Newark Penn Station in New Jersey on July 26, 2016, was startling: Some 35 protesters stood dressed in bridal gowns and veils, with their arms chained and mouths taped, chanting and singing.
The protesters were part of the second Chain-In organized by Unchained At Last to protest forced and child marriage in the US. Their demand: that New Jersey legislators pass A3091, the bill to end child marriage, and that legislators in other states follow that lead.
“3-0-9-1! We won’t stop until it’s done!” the Chain-In protesters chanted, waving signs that read, “Stop child marriage in NJ! Pass A3091.”
Child marriage often is forced marriage, Fraidy Reiss, Unchained’s founder and executive director, told the crowd via a megaphone. Further, the effects of child marriage on a girl’s life are devastating enough that the US State Department considers it a human-rights abuse, she continued. Yet child marriage is legal in New Jersey and every other US state, Reiss declared.
“Are we OK with that?” Reiss asked the protesters.
“No!” they shouted.
After a series of fiery speeches and boisterous chants, the Chain-In culminated with protesters singing “We Are Girls, Not Brides,” a haunting song written by girls in Zambia. (Girls Not Brides granted permission for protesters to sing the song.)
Enjoy the Star-Ledger’s story about the Chain-In, as well as the WABC-TV piece and the WBGO radio story.
Thank You
If you were part of the Chain-In, thank you for helping to send a powerful message about forced and child marriage.
Thank you, too, to the energetic speakers who addressed the crowd at the Chain-In, some who traveled from distant states for the protest:
- Amanda Parker, AHA Foundation
- Fraidy Reiss, Unchained At Last
- Helena Minchew, Girls Not Brides USA
- Jeanne Smoot, Tahirih Justice Center
- Naila Amin, activist and survivor of forced child marriage
- Sarah Bosakowski, Unchained At Last
- Sonia Ossorio, National Organization for Women – New York City
Finally, thank you to the many volunteers who made the Chain-In possible, including photographer Susan Landmann and videographer Chaya Reiss.
How to Help End Child and Forced Marriage
Whether or not you joined the Chain-In, you can take these steps:
- Urge key lawmakers to pass bills to end child marriage. It’s easy to do: Just submit these pre-filled emails.
- 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 US – and about the next Chain-In. Make sure you’re included on the Unchained mailing list, “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.