National Coalition to End Child Marriage
End Gender-Violence Zonta Says NO!
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End Child Marriage In YOUR State
Your Action can help save a child from the disastrous consequences.
Jump to State Action Impact of Child MarriageEnd Child Marriage USA Action
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Child Marriage is Legal in 33 States!
Seventeen States have now banned child marriage.
Until every state — and every country —
enacts legislation to protect children,
particularly young girls, from being forced into marriage,
thousands of children in the USA remain at risk of missing out on education
and the chance to be a child.
Demand 18 Years Old – No Exceptions
Child “marriage” is harmful, and is a human rights violation that legitimizes abuse and denies girls’ autonomy.
When young girls are forced to marry, they are essentially subject to state-sanctioned rape and are at risk of increased domestic violence, forced pregnancy and negative health consequences, while being denied education and economic opportunity. Zonta and our partners advocate that the minimum age for marriage be set at 18, no exceptions.
Did you know that only two U.S. states meet this standard, and that the federal government provides a child marital exception for statutory rape?
Zonta USA, Unchained at Last, Unicef USA and Equality Now works around the world to end child, early and forced marriage. The US should be no exception.
Take Action
National Actions:
HELP END CHILD MARRIAGE: KEEP GIRLS IN SCHOOL – Zonta USA
Contact your Senator and Representative today and ask them to support S.1071 and H.R. 2153.
Tell the US to End Statutory Rape Exception: – EqualityNow
Repealing 18 U.S.C. § 2243(c)(2) is a simple, commonsense step towards aligning U.S. law with international standards and discouraging child marriage and child rape in the U.S.
Prevent Child Marriage and Abuse of the US Immigration System – IWV
Urge your senators to support S.742 to close the visa loopholes that enable underage marriage
Legislation in ALL 48 States!
Join your State Coalition to End child marriage
In the US and around the world, child marriage is a harmful practice that disproportionately affects girls. Every year, thousands of children in the US face pressure to marry before they are ready, and the majority of those children are girls being pressured to marry older men, PBS reported. Globally, 650 million girls and women alive today were married as children, according to Girls Not Brides.
Bills to eliminate Child Marriage have been considered in 20 states, including Kentucky, Arizona, Florida, Hawaii, Texas and Tennessee, in the past two years. But, while the proposed bills resulted in the strengthening of legislation and children’s rights in some states, only Delaware and now New Jersey have actually passed the bills intact.
Most states with Child Marriage restrictions have too many loopholes that don’t protect children.
RESOURCES + Other Actions
Download the UnicefUSA – Zonta International toolkit (Zonta login required)
(includes social media toolkit)
Join the Zonta USA Advocacy Action Network (Open to all)
USA Action Center
Where is the System Broken
* What are the common Exceptions to Legal Age for Marriage?
Common Exception 1: Parental Consent
In most states, children age 16 or 17 can marry if their parents sign the marriage license application. Obviously, one child’s parental consent is another child’s parental coercion, but state laws do not call for anyone to ask the children whether they are being pressured into marriage. Even when a girl sobs openly while her parents sign the application and force her into marriage, the clerk has no authority to intervene.
Common Exception 2: Judicial Approval
In many states, judicial approval lowers the marriage age below 16, and many states do not specify a minimum age below which a judge may not approve a child marriage. Typically, states allow judges to approve marriages for couples whose ages or age differences should trigger a statutory-rape charge, not a marriage license.
Updates on Child Marriage in the USA – From our Blog
ABA adopts resolution to end Child Marriage in the USA
At its August 2026 Annual Conference, the American Bar Association (ABA) House of Delegates adopted [...]
California has another chance to ban child marriage –
The Fresno Collegian summarizes the progress in the CA Assembly quite well. Reporter Manpreet [...]
09
Jul
Jul
California Bill to End Child marriage passes out of Senate Committee
AB1267 Would End Child Marriage in California Introduced by Assembly member Gail Pellerin and co-sponsored [...]
09
Jul
Jul
Oklahoma Ends Child Marriage, becoming the 17th state.
Oklahoma ended child marriage today and not a minute too soon. Child marriage endangers children’s [...]
14
May
May
Survivor – Kate Yang: Former child bride fights to end child marriage in California
Here’s a shout out to Kate Yang who was interviewed by The Fresno State Collegian, [...]
07
May
May
Research Update: Persistance of Child Marriage in the USA
Persistence of Child Marriage in the USA Unchained At Last’s most recent research update, published [...]
15
Jan
Jan
Missouri Bans Child Marriage in Sweeping Child Welfare bill
Missouri becomes the 16th state to end child marriage in the USA. Missouri Governor [...]
10
Jul
Jul
Child Marriage- A Get out of Jail FREE card – VAWA – by US DOJ
VAWA 2022 § 1204(c) Report to Congress UNITED STATES DEPARTMENT OF JUSTICE OFFICE ON VIOLENCE [...]
25
Jun
Jun