Once again, we at Unchained At Last are going to Chain-In to protest child marriage in the United States. This time we’re headed to Boston.
We’ll gather on the third floor State House balcony outside of the House chamber wearing bridal gowns and veils, with our arms chained and mouths taped. We’ll send a strong message to legislators: Pass H1478/S24, the bill to end child marriage in Massachusetts.
Will you join us?
March 27 | 10:00 a.m.
Massachusetts State House House Chamber Balcony (3rd Floor)
24 Beacon St., Boston
Unchained provides the gowns, veils, chains and tape
Speakers include:
- Rep. Kay Khan, Primary Sponsor, H1478
- Sen. Harriette Chandler, Primary Sponsor, S24
- Maria Mossaides, Massachusetts Office of the Child Advocate
- Nesha Abiraj, Human Rights Watch
- Amanda Parker, AHA Foundation
- Fraidy Reiss, Unchained At Last
Ending Child Marriage in America
We lead a growing national movement to end child marriage in America by eliminating the legal loopholes in all 50 states and at the federal level that allow, and even encourage, child marriage. Seventeen states, including Massachusetts, do not specify any minimum age for marriage.
In Massachusetts, children of any age under 18 can marry with parental “consent,” which is often parental “coercion,” and judicial approval. The judicial review process does not protect children: It does not specify any criteria a judge must consider before approving the marriage of a child. Further, in Unchained’s experience, a child who is forced to marry also is forced to lie to the court about it.
Child marriage is often forced marriage, because children face overwhelming legal and practical barriers if they try to leave home, enter a domestic violence shelter, retain an attorney or bring a legal action such as a divorce before they turn 18. Further, child marriage destroys girls’ health, education and economic opportunities and significantly increases their risk of being beaten by their spouse.
The U.S. State Department has called marriage before 18 a “human rights abuse.” Let’s Chain-In to demand an end to this human-rights abuse in Massachusetts.
Read more here about Chain-Ins, the powerful form of peaceful protest that we invented to raise awareness of forced and child marriage in America.
Learn more here about other ways you can help to end child marriage in America.
Other Upcoming Chain-Ins
- Chain-In Pennsylvania | TBD