100 signatures reached
To: United State Congress
Stop Child Marriage!
Every year, tens of thousands of minors in the US are married, usually to adults. Most of these children are girls who marry adult men, and they face high rates of physical, emotional, and sexual abuse. We should be protecting these children from abuse, not sanctioning it. Five States have already banned marriages under the age of 18 - please move to ban these marriages across the country.
Why is this important?
A new report found that hundreds of thousands of children were married in the US over the past 20 years. These children are usually girls and usually marry adult men. Some are even forced to marry their own rapists.
Children married to adults face high rates of abuse, as well as losing opportunities for education and careers. They are not protected by laws against statutory rape, and often cannot turn to local Child Protective Services Agencies or agencies meant to protect adult victims of abuse.
Five states have banned this, but it’s perfectly legal in most. We need to stop letting these children slip through the cracks - Congress should make these marriages illegal.