Category : Forced Marriage in the United States

2025 State of Play: The Movement to Ban Child Marriage in the United States

In this webinar, our Director of Public Policy Casey Carter Swegman and Public Policy Manager Alex Goyette discussed the progress made in 2025, ways that states and the federal government can continue to prioritize prevention to protect children from the harms of child marriage, and how supporters can get involved with advocacy efforts.

View our updated reports online at tahirih.org/childmarriage.

Panel Event: A New Vision for Addressing Forced Marriage in the United States

A panel of national experts discussed how the United States National Action Plan to End Gender-Based Violence addresses forced and child marriage. Panelists include:

  • Alena Victor, Chief Program Officer, Womankind
  • Grace Huang, Directory of Policy, API-GBV
  • Shenna Morris, Director of Policy, NRCDV
  • Dr. Nusrat Ameen, Senior Director, Daya
  • Casey Swegman, Director of Public Policy, Tahirih Justice Center

Read the full Framework for Addressing Forced and Child Marriage in the U.S. National Action to End Gender Based Violence here.

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.