Map Shows Where Child Marriage Is Illegal Amid Push For California Ban
Summary
A Newsweek map shows 17 U.S. states where child marriage is illegal, while 33 states, including California, still allow it. Advocates in California are urging lawmakers to pass Assembly Bill 1267, which would ban child marriage by setting the minimum marriage age at 18 with no exceptions.Key Facts
- Child marriage is when at least one person in the marriage is under 18 years old.
- California currently has no minimum age for marriage but requires a court order and parental consent for minors.
- Assembly Bill 1267 aims to ban child marriage in California by raising the marriage age to 18 with no exceptions.
- The bill has passed the California Assembly and the Senate Judiciary Committee and is awaiting a full Senate vote.
- Since 2018, 17 states have banned child marriage by raising the minimum marriage age to 18.
- Nearly 315,000 children were married in the U.S. between 2000 and 2021, with about 34,875 marriages involving minors in California during that time.
- Organizations like Unchained at Last argue child marriage is linked to forced marriage, harms children’s lives, and can violate laws against statutory rape and human trafficking.
- Oklahoma will become the 17th state to ban child marriage when its new law takes effect on November 1.
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