America has a child marriage epidemic—and it's even worse than you think

With more than 300,000 documented child marriages since 2000, Republicans are fighting to keep it that way

Children today have it tough, between grades, drugs, alcohol—and apparently, the threat of child marriage. This isn’t hyperbole. To this day in 2024, thousands of children are beholden to, obliged to, forced into, (what’s the right word here?) child marriage in the United States—and Republicans seem to want to keep it that way. With several thousand documented child marriages every single year—some involving as children as young as 10—we need need legislative solutions and penalties for those who exploit children. But where do we begin? Let’s Address This.

Passers-by are stunned by a social experiment stunt held in New York to highlight child marriage (YouTube) via The Independent

First, let’s truly understand how bad this epidemic is in the United States. Despite widespread condemnation and international treaties against it, child marriage continues in the United States unabated. As reported in numerous outlets including the Washington Post and The Independent:

At least 207,468 minors married in the US between 2000 and 2015, according to data compiled by Unchained At Last, a group campaigning to abolish child marriage, and investigative documentary series Frontline. The true figure is likely to be much higher because 10 states provided no or incomplete statistics.

The youngest wedded were three 10-year-old girls in Tennessee who married men aged 24, 25 and 31 in 2001. The youngest groom was an 11-year-old who married a 27-year-old woman in the same state in 2006. Children as young as 12 were granted marriage licences in Alaska, Louisiana and South Carolina, while 11 other states allowed 13-year-olds to wed. More than 1,000 children aged 14 or under were granted marriage licences.

And the problem persists. Unchained At Last conducted another study in 2021 and found more than 300,000 documented cases of child marriage, as reported by Rolling Stone:

A 2021 study by the advocacy group Unchained at Last found that 300,000 minors were married between 2000 and 2018 in the United States. According to the group, 60,000 of those marriages involved an age difference that would have otherwise been considered a sex crime.

Remember, this is yet incomplete data as 10 states do not adequately report this data. But there’s yet another element of horror to this situation. In many states, children who are married cannot divorce—making child marriage a daunting one way ticket. As divorce lawyer Nancy Zalusky Berg explains:

A minor can’t file for a divorce because they’re not considered old enough to do it. That’s because marriage is considered a contract, and most laws stipulate that only adults can enter into contracts. So, if a minor wants to change their marriage contract, they need an adult to help them do it.

Next, let’s understand the lead culprits perpetuating this injustice. Because while child marriage is a nationwide problem, Republican states lead the way. Nine of the top 10 states leading rates of child marriage are GOP run states. They are as follows:

1. Nevada (0.671%)
2. Idaho (0.338%)
3. Arkansas (0.295%)
4. Kentucky (0.262%)
5. Oklahoma (0.229%)
6. Wyoming (0.227%)
7. Utah (0.208%)
8. Alabama (0.195%)
9. West Virginia (0.193%)
10. Mississippi (0.182%)

This epidemic persists under the radar, often defended and protected by lawmakers, particularly within the Republican Party, who cite tradition, religion, and a shocking misinterpretation of maturity and readiness. The latest absurd argument is that child marriage is better than abortion—notwithstanding that states that ban abortion also suffer at least a 24% increase in maternal mortality and have the highest rate of infant mortality as well. Facts just aren’t the Republican’s thing—controlling women and children, is.

West Virginia and Wyoming Republicans have also launched efforts to protect child marriage. And in New Hampshire, as recently as 2018, child marriage was legal for girls as young as 13 and boys as young as 14. This is particularly concerning because about 86% of child marriages are of young girls to male adults. Worse, efforts to ban child marriage in New Hampshire faced opposition from legislators when 174 Republicans voted against a bill to ban child marriage. One Republican lawmaker, State Representative Jess Edwards, described teen girls as “ripe and fertile,”—horrifying remarks that I address below:

Missouri tells a similar story, where Republicans continue to block attempts to raise the marriage age by arguing for “parental rights and traditional values,” regardless of the immense harm to children. As reported by the Missouri Independent:

The current law allows children aged 16 and 17 to marry with parental consent and younger children to marry with a judge’s approval. Until the legislature voted to raise the minimum marriage age to 16 in 2018, Missouri had among the most lenient child marriage laws in the nation — making it an especially popular state for 15-year-olds to travel to be married. Despite the 2018 change, Missouri law still does not align with international human rights standards, which set the minimum age at 18. [A]round 70 minors every year are entered into marriage in Missouri.

And the fact is, this hypocrisy extends beyond child marriage. The Republican Party, which often claims to champion the protection of children, also supports policies that endanger and undermine the well-being of minors. They are proponents of child labor laws, opponents of free school lunches for children, adversaries of the child tax credit, and critics of Medicaid expansion, which disproportionately benefits low-income children. I made this point in a viral tweet last year, its virality indicating that many people see this hypocrisy for the cruel reality that it is.

But surely there are international laws that ban child marriage, right? Well, it’s sort of a good news/bad news situation. The good news is yes, there are international laws and treaties that ban child marriage. For example, the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination Against Women (CEDAW) calls for action to specify a minimum marriage age of 18. Therefore, any U.S. state law which forces minors into marriage is a de facto violation of CEDAW. The tragic bad news is that while 186 of 193 countries have ratified the CEDAW treaty, the United States shamefully remains as one of only seven countries that has to date refused to ratify it. We join Iran, Sudan, Somalia, Nauru, Palau, and Tonga on this indefensible list. Therefore, CEDAW does not apply in the United States. Meanwhile, no Federal legislation exists to ban child marriage in the United States either.

Finally, let’s talk solutions. Because, all of the above notwithstanding, Democrats aren’t off the hook either, and must do better. As documented by UNICEF, only Connecticut, Delaware, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, New Jersey, New York, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, Vermont, and Washington have banned child marriage under the age of 18. That leaves 39 states where child marriage is still legal and recognized. It’s long past time for change. Children forced into child marriages are often helpless, but we as adults, are not. So what can you do?

The leading organization to help pass bans on child marriage is Unchained At Last. Visit their website, sign up for their newsletter, and if you can, contribute to their cause. Likewise, call upon your lawmakers to end this harmful practice and align with modern standards of human rights and dignity. We can do so by pressuring state lawmakers to ban child marriage on the state level, pressure federal lawmakers to pass national legislation banning child marriage (and let the Supremacy Clause quash all child marriage laws), and pressure the White House and Congress to ratify CEDAW and bring the United States up to speed with the vast majority of humanity.

Experts estimate that in 2024, roughly 50 minors will be forced into a child marriage every week in the United States. That number must come down to zero. It is critical we continue to speak up, create more awareness, and bring about this life saving change for human rights in the United States.