Child marriage remains a significant global issue, with the United Nations estimating that 12 million girls become child brides annually. The U.N. has designated ending the practice by 2030 as a priority goal and established November 27 as the International Day to End Child, Early and Forced Marriage through a resolution adopted on September 4. Multiple countries have recently enacted legislation to set minimum marriage ages at 18 without exceptions, including Sierra Leone, England, the Philippines, and the Dominican Republic since 2021.
In the United States, where more than two dozen states currently permit marriage under age 18 under certain circumstances, federal legislators introduced the Child Marriage Prevention Act in July as part of renewed efforts to address the issue. The bill, sponsored by U.S. Rep. Gwen Moore and Senators Dick Durbin, Brian Schatz, and Kirsten Gillibrand, seeks to establish a nationwide minimum marriage age of 18. Congressional sponsors cited data indicating that over 314,000 minors were legally married in the United States between 2000 and 2021, with most underage girls married to adult men, some as young as 10 years old.
Advocates have highlighted serious concerns surrounding child marriage, including risks of early pregnancy, social isolation, interrupted education, and domestic violence. In the U.S. context, married minors often face legal barriers to obtaining divorces or protection from abuse. Additionally, marital exemptions in some state statutory rape laws have reportedly shielded adult spouses from prosecution in approximately 90 percent of cases where brides were below the age of consent.
While the proposed legislation has garnered support from major child-marriage advocacy organizations, including the Tahirih Justice Center, some advocates have questioned whether its provisions adequately address all concerns. Supporters note that the bill’s proposal to provide financial incentives to states that ban child marriage represents a significant component of the legislation. International advocates have emphasized that eliminating child marriage in the United States would strengthen global efforts to combat the practice, as the legal allowance of such unions in the U.S. complicates advocacy work internationally.
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