[Name and Shame] These 3 African countries and the U.S. are slacking on child marriage

United States

You may think that in the United States, child marriage rarely occurs. But the reality is that “When you look at the laws and see the lack of protection for girls, you are stunned,” said state Rep. Jeannette Nunez, sponsor of a bill that would ban all child marriages in Florida.

In America, some 248,000 children were married between 2000 and 2010, with some marrying as early as 10, Unchained at Last, a US nonprofit group that helps girls and women rebuild their lives after forced marriages recently stated.

According to the Tahirih Justice Centre, a majority of child marriages in the United States involve girls marrying adult men, with some of the marriages having to do with an abusive situation or pregnancy. Minors are basically allowed to get married in every US state either by setting an age floor below 18 or through parental consent and judicial approval. Some states have introduced bills tackling child marriage, but the fact is that not all would set an age floor of 18.