When is marriage child abuse? Shifting attitudes bring reforms.
When Democratic Gov. Roy Cooper of North Carolina signed a law last month raising the age of marriage from 14 to 16 years old, those seeking an end to child marriage didn’t exactly celebrate.
“It’s a positive step. It’s better than nothing,” says Antonia Kirkland, global lead for legal equality at Equality Now, a nonprofit working to achieve legal systemic change to end violence and discrimination against women worldwide.
If her response was muted, it’s because children can still get married in North Carolina and because only six states nationwide outlaw marriage before age 18 with no exceptions. Still, advocates like Ms. Kirkland are hopeful that the law signifies changing attitudes regarding the differences between childhood and adulthood – legally, emotionally, and physically.
The persistence of forced marriageA shifting patchwork in state laws