Some 120 people joined Unchained At Last tonight at Dinner and a Movie, to watch a film about forced child marriage and discuss it over dinner and wine with local survivors of forced and child marriage.
The event raised more than $15,000, all of which will be used to help women and girls in the U.S. escape or resist forced marriages and to end coerced marriage in America.
Emcee: Michelle Charlesworth, WABC-TV anchor/reporter
Honorees: Christine Brown and Shehnaz Abdeljaber
Whether or not you were at Dinner and a Movie, check out the event photos on Unchained’s Facebook page. Here’s a preview:
Photos by Julie N. Samuels.
The New York Daily News today continued to advance the national conversation Unchained leads about forced marriage in America, with a story titled “Unchained at Last founded by ex-Orthodox Jewish bride aids women and girls escape forced marriages.”
The story describes the traumatic events that led Fraidy Reiss to found Unchained in 2011. Reiss’ family arranged her marriage when she was 19, to a man who showed himself to be violent only one week after their wedding. She was trapped in her abusive marriage for 12 years; when she finally escaped with her two daughters, her family shunned her.
Reiss managed to rebuild her life, become financially independent and even buy a small home for herself and her children. “At the closing, I realized I had finally made it,” she says in the Daily News story. “But what about the women who have not?”
For those women, Reiss founded Unchained, which remains the only organization in the US dedicated to helping women and girls escape forced marriages.
“Unchained provides one-stop shopping for girls and women in forced marriages,” the story explains. “It hooks up clients to pro bono divorce and immigration lawyers, psychotherapists, career counselors, English teachers, even driving instructors. It helps them find apartments, clothing, dishes, furniture and everything else they need to make a break.”
Read the full story here.
The New Jersey assembly judiciary committee today approved A3091, the bill Unchained wrote to end child marriage, by a vote of 5 to 1. The vote of approval came after Unchained’s executive director, Fraidy Reiss, testified before the panel and answered several questions from committee members.
Asw. Nancy Munoz, the bill’s sponsor, also testified in support of the bill, as did Nicole Morella, policy and advocacy director for the New Jersey Coalition to End Domestic Violence; Abed Awad, a matrimonial lawyer and an expert on Islamic and Jewish law; and Sonia Ossorio, president of the National Organization for Women – New York City.
No one testified against the bill, a simple piece of legislation that would eliminate dangerous exceptions to the current minimum marriage age of 18 and would reserve marriage, a serious legal contract, for those who have reached the age of majority. Thus the bill would eliminate child marriage, which is a human-rights abuse. Click here to read more.
Next the bill heads to the full assembly for a vote. An identical version of the bill also was introduced last week in the senate.
Unchained At Last’s executive director, Fraidy Reiss, shared her traumatic personal story last night on PBS NewsHour, as part of two-part segment about forced marriage in the US. The segment focuses on Reiss and three other survivors of human-rights abuses that have long gone unnoticed in America: forced marriage and child marriage.
“It’s so important to raise awareness about this and to talk about this publicly, because you can’t solve a problem that nobody knows exists,” Reiss said.
Unchained not only provides direct services to help women and girls escape forced marriages but also pushes for social and legal change, through education and advocacy, to end forced marriage in America. The NewsHour piece is the latest in a series of national and international news media stories and op-ed articles through which Unchained has educated the public about forced and child marriage.
The bill Unchained wrote to end child marriage in New Jersey, A3091, is gaining momentum. As of today, the bill has 17 primary and co-sponsors, with more expected to sign on soon – a significant portion of the 80-member Assembly.
Additionally, an identical version of the bill, S2528, was introduced today in the Senate by Sen. Nellie Pou.
Unchained is grateful to Asw. Nancy Munoz, the first primary sponsor of the bill in the Assembly, and to Sen. Pou for their leadership on this important issue. Child marriage, which often is a form of forced marriage, is a human-rights abuse (read more here). If S2528/A3091 bill passes, New Jersey will become the first state in the US to eliminate this human-rights abuse.
Unchained is proud to honor two women who have worked tirelessly to help Unchained achieve its mission of helping women and girls escape arranged/forced marriages:
Christine Brown has been one of Unchained’s secret weapons for four years now.
Christine has been advising nonprofit executives for some 20 years through her firm, Christine G. Brown Consulting; she also serves as a leadership consultant for CUMAC, a New Jersey nonprofit that works to alleviate hunger. So Unchained’s executive director and board members knew exactly how lucky they were the day in 2012 that Christine offered to donate her expertise to Unchained.
Four years later, Christine continues to donate her services, attending every Unchained board meeting as a consultant. She has trained Unchained’s board and staff on issues ranging from board responsibilities to fundraising. She has helped to recruit volunteers and board members and potential partners, and she has helped to spread the word about arranged/forced marriage and Unchained’s work to end it. And she has never expected payment or accolades in return.
Shehnaz Abdeljaber was Unchained’s first board president, back in 2011, helping to lay the groundwork for the national organization into which Unchained has quickly grown.
Shehnaz’s specialty has always been working with individual Unchained clients, showing them overwhelming generosity as they flee or resist a coerced marriage – even now that she is no longer a voting member of Unchained’s board. She once opened her own home to a young woman who had nowhere else to go, providing her shelter for several months. She insisted on buying lovely furniture for a forced-marriage survivor who was transitioning from a shelter to her own home. She has donated thousands of dollars of her own directly to clients in their time of crisis, and she has hosted parties and taken to Facebook to raise even more money for them.
And Shehnaz does not just help forced-marriage survivors with financial needs. She has mentored numerous Unchained clients, giving them the emotional support and warmth they need as they rebuild their lives.
In a Pakistani village, a young mother escapes with her 10-year-old daughter – and risks both their lives – to save the daughter from a forced marriage. A deadly hunt ensues, and mother and daughter must flee through the sweeping landscape of Pakistan in their quest for freedom and safety. View the trailer here.
Questions about Dinner and a Movie? Email info@unchainedatlast.org or call (908) 481-HOPE.
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.
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:
Finally, thank you to the many volunteers who made the Chain-In possible, including photographer Susan Landmann and videographer Chaya Reiss.
Whether or not you joined the Chain-In, you can take these steps:
Unchained At Last urges you to join the upcoming Chain-In to protest child marriage and forced marriage in New Jersey and across the US.
Be among the survivors, activists and supporters who will stand outside Newark Penn Station wearing bridal gowns and veils, with arms chained and mouths taped, to send a powerful message to legislators: Pass A3091, the bill to end child marriage in New Jersey.
Unchained is proud and grateful that the survivors, activists and allies who will address the crowd at the the Chain-In include:
Unchained also is proud and grateful that Girls Not Brides has granted permission for protesters at the Chain-In to sing “We Are Girls, Not Brides,” a haunting song written by girls in Zambia. Click on the image below to watch the girls in Zambia perform “We Are Girls, Not Brides.”
Child marriage – or marriage before age 18 – 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 or trapped within a marriage, because they cannot easily access legal and other resources.
Yet child marriage is legal in all 50 U.S. states, and tens of thousands of children were married in the U.S. in the last decade. In New Jersey, nearly 3,500 children as young as 13 were married between 1995 and 2012.
And forced marriage happens to adults too, but the US has long lagged behind other countries in acknowledging and responding to this human rights abuse.
The solution? Let’s start by reserving marriage, a serious legal contract, for those who have reached the age of majority. Let’s Chain-In to grab New Jersey legislators’ attending and make sure they pass A3091, the pending bill that would end child marriage.
Q: I don’t have a bridal gown and veil. What should I do?
A: No problem. Wear a white top, and Unchained will provide a free veil and a “skirt” you can wear over your own clothing. (Note: You are encouraged to wear a gown and veil regardless of your gender identity.)
Q: I prefer not to wear bridal clothing and/or not to chain my arms or tape my mouth. May I still join the Chain-In?
A: Absolutely!
Q: Should I bring my own chains and tape?
A: No, do not bring your own chains and tape. Unchained will provide free plastic chains, as well as free tape that is comfortable even on sensitive skin.
Q: Is this legal?
A: Yes, the Chain-In is completely legitimate. Unchained has the backing of the First Amendment, as well as a permit from the New Jersey Transit Police Department to hold a protest on Newark Penn Station property.
Q: How much does it cost to join the Chain-In?
A: Nothing. Joining the Chain-In is free – but please consider donating to Unchained to help offset the cost of the Chain-In and to help women and girls across the US who are fleeing forced marriages.
Q: Where is the exact Chain-In location?
A: The Chain-In will be held outside Newark Penn Station, on Market Street. From inside the train station, exit toward Market Street Buses, between Track 4 and Track 5.
Q: What time does the Chain-In begin and end?
A: Please arrive at 4:30 p.m. to sign in and get into Chain-In attire. The actual Chain-In will begin at 5 p.m. and end by 6 p.m.
Q: Will the Chain-In proceed in case of bad weather?
A: The Chain-In location is under an overpass, protected from the elements. The protest will proceed no matter what the weather brings.
Q: How else can I help end child and forced marriage?
A: Whether or not you can join the Chain-In, please take these steps:
~ Spread the word about the Chain-In by emailing your friends and posting about it on social media using the hashtags #UnchainNJ and #PassA3091.
~ Urge key lawmakers to pass A3091, the bill currently pending in New Jersey to end child marriage, and similar bills in other states. 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 U.S. Join 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. Details here.
Unchained is the only organization in the US dedicated to helping women and girls leave or avoid arranged/forced marriages and rebuild their lives. Unchained provides women and girls with free legal and social services and emotional support.
Unchained is also the only nonprofit in the US dedicated to promoting social and policy change to prevent forced marriage. Unchained raises awareness about forced marriage and advocates for relevant legislation.
Questions about the Chain-In? Email info@unchainedatlast.org or call (908) 481-HOPE.
As we at Unchained At Last continue our work to end child marriage in the US, we need something from you: We need you to make your voice heard. We need you to tell legislators and governors that you, too, demand an end to child marriage.
We made it easy for you to do. Just click here to submit pre-filled emails to all the right people.
Child marriage, or marriage in which one or both parties is under age 18, is a human-rights abuse that “produces devastating repercussions for a girl’s life, effectively ending her childhood,” according to the US State Department.
Shockingly, though, while most US states set 18 as the minimum marriage age, exceptions in every state allow child marriage.
We are in the process of retrieving data from all 50 states on the number of children wed recently. The project is not yet complete, but the numbers already are alarming: At least tens of thousands of children, as young as 12, were married in the US in the last decade. Almost all the children were girls, and almost all were married to adult men – many at ages or with age differences that constitute statutory rape.
The dangers of child marriage are clear. Children can easily be forced into or trapped within 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 such as a divorce.
Furthermore, marriage before age 18 undermines girls’ health, education and economic opportunities and increases their risk of experiencing violence. Read more.
We cannot allow this human-rights abuse to continue.
We started a national conversation about America’s child marriage problem with an op-ed in the New York Timesin October 2015. Since then, four states introduced legislation to end child marriage:
With your help, we hope eventually to pass legislation in every US state ending all child marriage, with no exceptions.
Please make your voice heard to convince legislators of the importance of this legislation.
Also, get others to make their voices heard. Forward this email to at least five friends and ask them to submit emails too, and post messages like this on social media: <I sent emails via @unchainedatlast urging legislators to #endchildmarriage & I hope you’ll #makeyourvoiceheard too! www.unchainedatlast.org>
If enough of us make our voices heard, legislators and governors will have no choice but to listen. Let’s get the bill passed in New Jersey, and then go state by state until we end child marriage in the US.
Child, Early and Forced Marriage Worldwide and in New YorkDate: May 25, 2016
Time: 7 p.m. to 9 p.m.
Location: Scarsdale Library, Scott Room
Address: 54 Olmsted Road, Scarsdale, NY
Join New York Assemblywoman Amy Paulin, award-winning photojournalist Stephanie Sinclair, Unchained’s Fraidy Reiss and Sanctuary for Families’ Sayoni Maitra for:
– Exclusive showing of Sinclair’s stunning photo series of child brides, titled Too Young to Wed
– Lively discussion of the human rights and developmental impacts of child, early and forced marriage
For more information, contact Paulin’s district office at paulina@assembly.state.ny.us or (914) 723-1115.
