Gloria Steinem, the renowned feminist, journalist and activist, commended Unchained At Last today in her keynote address at a conference on gender equality.
Steinem mentioned Unchained by name as she spoke about how gratified she was to attend the conference, titled Rutgers Celebrates Beijing+20, and learn about the important work people are doing to advance gender equality.
Unchained At Last’s executive director, Fraidy Reiss, was a panelist at the conference, held at Rutgers School of Law – Newark. Shortly before Steinem took the stage, Reiss explained to the audience that legal exceptions allow child marriage in every U.S. state, and that Unchained’s research found that nearly 3,500 children – the youngest just 10 years old – have been married recently in New Jersey. Unchained currently is working on legislation to end child marriage in New Jersey and New York.
Steinem referred to Unchained’s findings and work in her keynote speech.
Some 130 people attended the conference, which examined “continued challenges in achieving gender equality since the groundbreaking Beijing Conference” of 1995.