Unchained At Last convenes the California Coalition to End Child Marriage, a statewide coalition of local, state, national and international organizations and survivors of child marriage who advocate together for passage of legislation to end child marriage, or marriage before age 18, in California. Coalition members participate at varying levels, according to their capacity, with no obligation to contribute more than their resources allow.
California’s marriage age is 18, but the law includes alarming loopholes: A parent may “consent” to marry off a child of any age with judicial approval, and the court may enter a child of any age into marriage if the child does not have a parent capable of “consenting” to the marriage. These loopholes disempower and seriously endanger minors, even with supposed safeguards the legislature added in 2018.
Child marriage destroys American girls’ health, education and economic opportunities, and increases their risk of experiencing violence. The U.S. State Department calls marriage before 18 a “human rights abuse.”
More than 8,000 California children are entered into marriage every year, and the annual number has been increasing in recent years. As of 2021, more than 14,000 minors living in California already had been married. 100% of these marriages would have been considered a sex crime outside of marriage, because a child-marriage license is a “get out of jail free” card for a would-be child rapist. Sex with a child under age 18 is a sex crime in California unless the perpetrator first marries the child.
The California coalition advocates for a simple, commonsense solution: Eliminate the dangerous loopholes that allow children to be entered into marriage before age 18 – and keep the marriage age at 18, no exceptions.
Coalition members do this by meeting with California state legislators to urge them to introduce, support and pass a bill to end child marriage in California and by raising awareness through events and media coverage.
The coalition has been making noise in California. Events and media coverage include:
Chain-In San Jose | Event | July 2024: Led by Unchained, California coalition members, survivors and allies gathered outside outside Asm. Ash Kalra’s San Jose district office in bridal gowns and chains to urge him to stop holding up AB2924, the widely popular bill to end child marriage in California.
Opinion: California enables abusive child marriage, but Bay Area lawmaker blocks reform effort | Mercury News | May 2024: Unchained’s founder/executive director Fraidy Reiss co-authors an op-ed with actress and activist Alyssa Milano calling out Asm. Ash Kalra for blocking the widely popular bill to end child marriage in Kalra’s hometown paper.
Assemblywoman Petrie-Norris Joins Child Marriage Survivors to Discuss “The End Child Marriage Act” | Press Release | March 2024: Asm. Cottie Petrie-Norris and child marriage survivors and advocates from the California Coalition to End Child Marriage held a press conference to highlight AB2924, landmark legislation that would end child marriage in California.
Child marriage is still legal in California. How could this be? | Sacramento Bee | September 2023: Unchained’s Fraidy Reiss authors an op-ed for the Sacramento Bee detailing how child marriage is a particularly egregious issue in California and why ending it is crucial.
Why child marriage is legal in California — and the unexpected groups fighting to keep it that way | Los Angeles Times | August 2023: The Los Angeles Times breaks down the uniquely challenging legislative battle advocates faces to end child marriage in California, including its surprising opponents.
Child brides: A campaign starts to ban underage marriages in California | CalMatters | June 2023: CalMatters examines the pervasive child marriage problem in California and the tireless work to end it through the lens of the Sacramento Chain-In and research into the prevalence of child marriage in the state.
Chain-In Sacramento | Event | June 2023: Led by Unchained, California coalition members, survivors and allies gathered outside the California state capitol in bridal gowns and chains to protest child marriage.
Children can still get married in California. These protesters want to change that | Sacramento Bee | June 2023: The Sacramento Bee highlights the Sacramento Chain-In to push California lawmakers to introduce and pass a long overdue bill to end all marriage before 18 in the state, without exceptions.
The California coalition is led by Unchained At Last and includes individual and organizational allies as well as forced and child marriage survivors.
Organizations
Forced and Child Marriage Survivors
Individuals
Are you a survivor or advocate who wants to help end child marriage in California? Join the California Coalition to End Child Marriage.
