At just 15, Sara Tasneem from California found herself in a marriage arranged by her father to a man much older than her.
Reflecting on that day, Sara said she felt like she had no say in the matter, “I signed away everything that day.”
Nevada’s laws at the time allowed minors to marry with the consent of one parent, as simple as a notarized permission slip.
Sara’s mother, unaware of the marriage until afterward, lost the ability to seek statutory rape charges against Sara’s husband.
Feeling controlled in her marriage, Sara dreaded her second pregnancy. She said, “I was devastated because this would only keep me in my marriage.”
Leaving her husband took Sara years due to legal barriers minors face when seeking divorce.
Surprised to discover that child marriage is legal in every state, Sara began advocating against it in 2017.
Between 2000 and 2018, nearly 300,000 children were married in the U.S., some as young as 10, majority of the marriages were girls married to adult men, according to Unchained At last.
A child marriage is a violation of human rights, considering one or both parties cannot give full and free consent, leaving minors vulnerable to abuse.
Despite progress with 12 states banning child marriage since 2018, concerns remain about minors being transported across state lines to marry where it’s still legal.
Ending child marriage in all states is crucial to prevent states from becoming marriage destinations for minors.
Maine may soon be the last Northeastern state to allow marriages at 17 with parental consent, potentially attracting child marriage tourism.
It is essential for all states to raise the marriage age to 18 to prevent minors from being coerced into marriage.
Legislation is being pushed in California and New Hampshire to ban child marriage, aiming to protect minors from forced unions.
We must ensure that all states adhere to a minimum marriage age of 18 to safeguard children from early marriages.