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

2. 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

3. 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

4. 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

5. 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.

6. 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

7. 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

8. 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

9. 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

10. 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

11. 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

12. Break Silent Auction Closes