The state of West Virginia has declined the proposed law prohibiting underage marriage.
The decision was made soon after Democratic Representative Kayla Young introduced the bill and provided a brief statement to the committee.
Young mentioned that over 3,600 marriages involving minors have occurred in the state since 2000, putting children at risk.
West Virginia rejects bill prohibiting minors from getting married
The Republican-dominated Senate Judiciary Committee rejected the bill.
According to ABC, the bill was voted down by a narrow margin of 9-8, one week after the House of Delegates had passed it.
Under current laws in West Virginia, children as young as 16 can get married with their parents' consent, and younger people require a judge's waiver.
The proposed bill would have raised the age of consent to 18 and removed the option for a minor to obtain consent through their parents or legal guardians or by court petition.
However, existing marriages, including those conducted in other states, would not have been affected.
Despite the bill's intention to safeguard children from an underage marriage, some opponents contended that teenage marriages are common in West Virginia and should be upheld as a tradition.
However, supporters of the bill, which seeks to end forced and child marriage, believe that setting the minimum age for marriage at 18 reduces domestic violence and unwanted pregnancies and improves the lives of teenagers.
In response to the vote, Cabell County Democratic Sen. Mike Woelfel reminded the committee that it was International Women's Day, implying that allowing minors to marry can harm women's lives.
Woelfel, along with other supporters of the bill, argued that underage marriages could be exploitative and could lead to a loss of educational opportunities, health complications, and psychological issues.
As per U.S. News, Senator Mike Stuart, a member of the majority who voted against the bill, clarified that his vote was not intended to be a vote against women.
He explained that his mother was married at 16, and he was born six months later.
Child marriage in other states
Child marriages occur when one or both parties are under 18. It is currently permitted in 43 states across the United States.
However, some states, including Rhode Island, New York, Minnesota, Massachusetts, Delaware, and Pennsylvania, have eliminated all exceptions and set the minimum age at 18.
In contrast, 20 states in the country do not require any minimum age for marriage, with a parental or judicial waiver.
West Virginia, however, recently attempted to prevent minors from getting married to protect teenagers under 18 from being forced into marriages.
According to Equality Now, child marriage can potentially be a harmful practice with adverse health consequences while depriving these young women of more opportunities.
Young girls forced into marriages are subjected to state-sanctioned rape and are at an increased risk of domestic violence and forced pregnancy.
Shockingly, about 86 percent of these marriages in the U.S. involve girls married to adult men, many of whom are much older.
Unfortunately, despite children being allowed to get married in the U.S., they are not yet entitled to file for divorce or seek shelter in domestic violence cases.
