It was a typical spring afternoon outside the student center at Rutgers University on Friday – until some 30 brides with chained wrists suddenly descended. They broke into dance, their white veils blowing in the wind, as Beyonce’s “Run the World (Girls)” blasted on a boombox.
And with that, we at Unchained staged our first Chain-In Flash Mob to protest child marriage in America.
If you missed the flash mob at Rutgers – which was choreographed and performed by the talented members of the Omega Phi Alpha National Service Sorority – don’t worry. You’ll get to see the video in the coming weeks, courtesy of NowThis, which filmed the entire protest.
The Chain-In Flash Mob was made possible by generous support from Lush Charity Pot.
Marriage before 18 is legal in all 50 U.S. states. Laws in 22 states do not specify any minimum marriage age.
Child marriage often is forced marriage, because children 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 destroys girls’ health, education and economic opportunities and significantly increases their risk of being beaten by their spouse.
We lead a growing national movement to end child marriage in America by passing simple, commonsense legislation in all 50 states and at the federal level.
We’ve made some progress in our national movement to end child marriage. Strong legislation we helped to write to end all marriage before 18 passed this month in the New Jersey senate and is pending in the assembly. Another bill passed last week in the Delaware house and heads now to the senate.
But legislators in other states across the U.S. have rejected or watered down the legislation. Many have insisted a teenage girl who gets pregnant has no choice but to marry, even if she was raped.
That’s why we invented the Chain-In, at which we gather in bridal gowns and veils, with our wrists chained and mouths taped, to show legislators what life looks like for a girl who is forced to marry. And that’s why now invented the Chain-In Flash Mob.
Do you want to join a Chain-In – for which we provide the bridal gowns and veils? Our next Chain-Ins are tentatively scheduled as follows:
More details are coming soon. Meanwhile, click here for other ways you can help end child marriage in America.
You don’t want to miss this:
