afromanspeaks t1_isdm9at wrote on October 15, 2022 at 3:54 AM

Reply to comment by Retrobubonica in First female chief in Malawi, South Africa ends child marriage by messyredemptions

How many US states have legalized child marriage still?

PrayingMantisMirage t1_isdo8c6 wrote on October 15, 2022 at 4:14 AM

Source: https://www.equalitynow.org/learn_more_child_marriage_us/

Acrobatic-Whereas632 t1_isdru04 wrote on October 15, 2022 at 4:52 AM

So out of 50 states, only 6 make child marriage illegal. Goddamned depressing.

ChromeMaverick t1_isdu8uf wrote on October 15, 2022 at 5:20 AM

This is the case in most western countries. 18 without parental consent or 16 with parental consent

Cole-Rex t1_ise2bt7 wrote on October 15, 2022 at 7:06 AM

So I talked to a social worker about this, it’s child abuse where I live, so while “legal” it’s not legal.

wingardiumleviosa83 t1_isdut5j wrote on October 15, 2022 at 5:27 AM

What!!!

messyredemptions OP t1_ise1stg wrote on October 15, 2022 at 6:59 AM

This needs to be a r/todayilearned for a lot of us!

Elitesuxor t1_ise451k wrote on October 15, 2022 at 7:32 AM

According to the wiki article on the subject, 96% of child brides are 16 or 17 whilst only 4% of adult spouses are over 29. Whilst it is an issue, the majority of child marriages are between people of similar ages and don’t always reflect abuse.

Also, some child brides are used as anchors for others overseas. Families from places like India and Pakistan, where up to a fourth of their marriages involved an underage spouse at the time of wedding, used immigration loopholes to obtain visas at the expense of the child.

https://www.tahirih.org/wp-content/uploads/2015/03/REPORT-Tahirih-Survey-on-Forced-Marriage-in-Immigrant-Communities-in-the-United-States.pdf

plexomaniac t1_iseidqq wrote on October 15, 2022 at 10:57 AM

Just the fact a child can marry is bad enough to me.