Tag : United States
The Alignment of U.S. Child Marriage Laws to Data and Consent: Time for a Bright-Line Rule at the Age of Majority
Author: Andrea Jeglum
Published: Fall 2021
In this article, published in the Wisconsin Journal of Law, Gender & Society, the author traces the legal and social history of laws allowing for child marriage in the United States, as well as attempts by states to protect children without fully ending child marriage. She concludes that these efforts to limit child marriage through parental consent or judicial approval conditions have failed, and that the only viable way to address the issue is for each state to set it’s minimum marriage age at the age of majority. Read more.
Framework for Addressing Forced and Child Marriage in the U.S. National Action Plan to End Gender Based Violence
Authors: Forced Marriage Working Group
Publication: October, 2021
This Framework is the result of months of collaboration and consultation with our partners in the National Forced Marriage Working Group, and is the first document of its kind charting a comprehensive path forward on the issue of forced and child marriage in the U.S. The Framework calls for an intersectional approach to supporting survivors rooted in anti-oppression and anti-racism, increased awareness among service providers, advocates, and policy makers as well as a coordinated whole of government response, dedicated funding streams to enhance programs and services, and support for research and policy change at the state and federal level. Read more.
Naming the Harm and Meeting the Unmet Mental Health Needs of Forced Marriage Survivors in the United States
Dr. Neha Batool highlights the most recent research findings about women’s experiences with forced marriage and identifies the underlying mechanisms that influence the experience of forced marriages. She focuses on women’s psychological wellbeing prior to, during, and after the forced marriage and discusses both short-term and long-term mental health challenges related to attachment styles, identity development, gender socialization, and intergenerational influences.
Child Marriage Poses Serious Risks to Children
Author: Tahirih Justice Center
Published: May, 2020
This one-pager brings together research on the devastating, lifelong harms of child marriage in the United States.
Making Progress, But Still Falling Short: A Report on the Movement to End Child Marriage in America
Author: Tahirih Justice Center
Publication: January, 2020
Updated: May, 2020
Making Progress, But Still Falling Short outlines what more needs to be done to end child marriage in America both at the state and federal level. It contains the latest analysis on all twenty-five states that have recently enacted laws to end or limit child marriage, calling out features that make them strong or weak.
The report serves as a complement to our Child Marriage in the U.S.: Survivor Story Compilation that was released in January 2020, in which 20 survivor voices are featured to provide a window into the many ways that children can be forced and coerced into marriage in modern-day America.
This report was updated to reflect legislative changes made prior to May 13, 2020. Any versions dated January, 2020 will be out of date.