District 10 Advocacy Child Marriage Kristin Koblis – Zonta Club of Houston

Statistics 12 million girls under the age of 18 are married each year 21 percent of young women around the world were married before their 18th birthday 650 million women and girls alive today were married as children

The Effects of Child Marriage Reproductive health Higher rates of contacting HIV and sexually transmitted diseases Decrease in maternal and child health Higher rate of domestic violence Lack of education Diminishes their ability work and have income High incidence of divorce

Reasons for Child Marriage A way to ease economic hardship by transferring the ‘burden’ to her husband’s family Cultural tradition, expectation or, right of passage Belief that marriage will be a solution to secure a better future A coping mechanism in the face of poverty and violence

ZI’s Ending Child Marriage A program to accelerate global action Multi-year program seeks to promote the right of girls to delay marriage, addresses the conditions that keep the practice in place and provides care for girls who are already married.

Child Marriage in the U.S. Statistics Over 248,000 children had been married in the United States between 2000 and 2010 Including minors as young as 12 years old 77% of them were girls married to adult men Source: Unchained At Last www.unchainedatlast.org

Rates in D10 States Arkansas Louisiana Texas 7,020 children ability to marry as young as 14 Louisiana 4,530 children ability to marry as young as 12 Texas 34,790 children ability to marry as young as 13 New Mexico and Oklahoma have no data Source: Unchained At Last www.unchainedatlast.org

Is Child Marriage Legal in the U.S.? 25 States do not set any age floor by statute In 8 States and Washington DC, clerks alone without judges can approve marriages Only 17 States require judges to consider the minor’s best interest 9 States expressively state if pregnancy involved, the minimum marriage age can be lowered Source: Tahirih Justice Center – Falling Through the Cracks, How Laws Allow Child Marriage to Happen in Today’s America August 2017

Proposed State Legislation Louisiana SB463 Would end all forms of child marriage May 16, 2018 study order placed to indefinitely delay passing Texas SB1705/HB3932 Eliminates most forms of child marriage, except force emancipation to then marry

Needed Provisions in State Marriage Laws Minimum age including proof Same requirements for boys and girls Prevent marriage licenses for out-of-state minors Ensure there is no parental coercion or force Determine that pregnancy is not a result of rape Require all minors to go before a judge for permission to marry Waiting period between license application and issuance

What Can We Do? Support ZI’s Ending Child Marriage service project Inform people of child marriage Contact your elected officials Write Letters to the Editor Bring attention to the issue via social media

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