Help end child marriage in Ohio. Join Zonta USA, Unchained at Last and others to end this human rights abuse that traps children, mostly girls, and impacts their access to education, social services, and is linked to domestic violence, financial abuse and early pregnancy and health consequences.
Child marriage, or marriage before age 18, was legal in all 50 U.S. states as of 2017, based on archaic laws at the state level. As of May, 2026, 17 States have eliminated child marriage.
Delaware and New Jersey in 2018 became the first two states to end this human rights abuse, followed by American Samoa in 2018, the U.S. Virgin Islands, Pennsylvania and Minnesota in 2020, Rhode Island and New York in 2021, Massachusetts in 2022, Michigan, Vermont and Connecticut in 2023, Washington, Virginia and New Hampshire in 2024, and DC, Maine, Oregon and Missouri in 2025, and Oklahoma in 2026.
However, child marriage remains legal in 35 states and is happening in the U.S. at an alarming rate: Unchained’s groundbreaking research revealed that nearly 300,000 children as young as 10 were married in the U.S. between 2000 and 2018 – mostly girls wed to adult men.
Number: # of children married 2000-2021 : 5,036
Youngest marriage age allowed by law: 17
Unchained at Last – Lead Partner and Convener
Zonta Clubs of Ohio – Lead Partner
AHA Foundation
ETSS Tewahedo Social Services
Hope and Healing Survivor Resource Center
Ohio Alliance to End Sexual Violence
Ohio Collaborative to End Human Trafficking
Ohio Domestic Violence Network
Ohioans for Child Protection
OH NOW
Secular Education Association
The Lighthouse
YWCA Dayton
YWCA Greater Cleveland
AKRON, BARBERTON & CUYAHOGA FALLS
Akron, OH
ASHTABULA AREA
Ashtabula, OH
CINCINNATI
Cincinnati, OH
CLEVELAND
University Heights, OH
COLUMBUS, OH
Worthington, OH
FINDLAY
Findlay, OH
GREATER SANDUSKY
Castalia, OH
GROVE CITY
Grove City, OH
HUDSON
Hudson, OH
MID-OHIO VALLEY
Marietta, OH
NEWARK
Newark, OH
TOLEDO I
Toledo, OH
Please visit and share our website www.stopchildmarriages.org and TAKE ACTION to message your state representatives to End Child Marriage in Your State.
Updates from around the country on Ending Child Marriage in the USA
Resources, Articles, News and Updates
End-Child Marriage
At its August 2026 Annual Conference, the American Bar Association (ABA) House of Delegates adopted [...]
End-Child Marriage
The Fresno Collegian summarizes the progress in the CA Assembly quite well. Reporter Manpreet [...]
Advocacy End-Child Marriage
AB1267 Would End Child Marriage in California Introduced by Assembly member Gail Pellerin and co-sponsored [...]
Advocacy End-Child Marriage
Oklahoma ended child marriage today and not a minute too soon. Child marriage endangers children’s [...]
Advocacy End-Child Marriage
Here’s a shout out to Kate Yang who was interviewed by The Fresno State Collegian, [...]
End-Child Marriage
Persistence of Child Marriage in the USA Unchained At Last’s most recent research update, published [...]
End-Child Marriage
Missouri becomes the 16th state to end child marriage in the USA. Missouri Governor [...]
Advocacy End-Child Marriage
VAWA 2022 § 1204(c) Report to Congress UNITED STATES DEPARTMENT OF JUSTICE OFFICE ON VIOLENCE [...]
National Coalition to End Child Marriage
End Gender-Violence Zonta Says NO!
US Women at the UN