46 states allow child marriage under the age of 18. These are the 25 offending states that allow child marriage under the age of 15 because of parental consent, parental and judicial consent, pregnancy, or because its the set minimum marriage age in that state.
- ALABAMA
- ALASKA
- ARIZONA
- ARKANSAS
- CALIFORNIA
- COLORADO
- CONNECTICUT
- DELAWARE
- FLORIDA
- HAWAII
- IDAHO
- INDIANA
- KANSAS
- KENTUCKY
- LOUISIANA
- MAINE
- MARYLAND
- MASSACHUSETTS
- MICHIGAN
- NEVADA
- NEW HAMPSHIRE
- NEW JERSEY
- NEW MEXICO
- NORTH CAROLINA
- OHIO
- OKLAHOMA
- PENNSYLVANIA
- RHODE ISLAND
- SOUTH CAROLINA
- SOUTH DAKOTA
- TENNESSEE
- UTAH
- VERMONT
- WASHINGTON
- WEST VIRGINIA
- WYOMING
- ILLINOIS
- IOWA
- MINNESOTA
- MISSOURI
- MONTANA
- NEBRASKA
- NORTH DAKOTA
- OREGON
- WISCONSIN
Enter your zip code here to find your state Legislator and their contact email.
Click here for the sample letter to send to your legislator.
Dear ______, (Legislator)
I was shocked and horrified to learn that my home state has no age floor or minimum marriage age laws in place to protect a minor/child from being married to an adult. This needs to change! Fact: Statistics show that 31% of girls are more likely to end up in poverty, are 3x more likely to be beaten by their spouses, have a higher risk of psychiatric disorders due to trauma, and have an almost 80% divorce rate. Theres almost no way to escape these “bonds” of marriage. In these marriages the child is powerless to make choices and decisions that would affect her future and protect herself. Even at 16 or 17, it would be very hard for her to hire a divorce attorney by herself, rent an apartment, or enter a shelter for abused women because minors aren’t allowed into an adult shelter without contacting the parents and sending them back.
I strongly urge you to protect the children of our State by supporting legislation to raise the minimum marriage age to 18- No exceptions!
Thank you for your thoughtful consideration of this matter.
Peacefully Yours,
______________
Thank you Kaya for all of your efforts and for making my shared view so easy to share with my legislators. I am a busy women yet believe this is a very important topic. Thank you again!
Julia
I side with #StillaGirlCampaign
Thank you for bringing attention to this. I‘m sorry I just saw this two years after your initial post. I am contacting my state legislature today and will push my family and friends to do the same. Perhaps we can light some fire under this again.