Dressed in bridal gowns and chains, more than 20 of us and our allies gathered in Manhattan today to celebrate that New York just ended child marriage — but also to protest that 44 U.S. states still allow this human rights abuse.
Speakers included:
- Sen. Julia Salazar, Primary sponsor of S3086
- Susan Raqib, Human Rights Watch
- Leslie Wright, Zonta Club of Brooklyn
- Naila Amin, Naila Amin Foundation
- Chavie Weisberger, Footsteps
- Fraidy Reiss, Unchained At Last
Our Chain-In drew the attention of passersby and the news media, including the Independent and others.
We at Unchained lead a growing national movement to end child marriage in every U.S. state and at the federal level — as part of our mission to end all forms of forced marriage through direct services and advocacy.
Child marriage often is forced marriage, because minors face overwhelming legal and practical barriers if they try to leave home, enter a domestic violence shelter, retain an attorney or bring a legal action such as a divorce before they turn 18. Further, child marriage is recognized as a human rights abuse that destroys American girls’ health, education and economic opportunities and significantly increases their risk of experiencing domestic violence.
One of the strategies we use in our push to end this human rights abuse is the Chain-In. Read more here about this powerful form of peaceful protest, which we have staged in multiple U.S. states.
