West Virginia has made significant progress in protecting minors from child marriage by banning it for children under the age of 16.
The new law signed by Republican Governor Jim Justice will still allow 16- and 17-year-olds to get married, but with restrictions.
The minors must obtain parental consent and cannot marry someone who is more than four years older than them. The new law also does not affect existing legal marriages or those conducted in other states.
In West Virginia's previous law, it allowed children younger than 16 to get married with a judge's waiver.
West Virginia restricts child marriage under 16
According to the Associated Press, the new legislation represents a compromise between Democrats and Republicans, with some Democrats hoping that it will eventually lead to the complete elimination of child marriage.
West Virginia had the highest rate of child marriage among the states, with around seven marriages for every 1,000 children ages 15 to 17, according to the Pew Research Center.
The rate was significantly higher than the national average of around 4.6 marriages per 1,000 for the same age group, based on data collected from 2010 to 2014.
The new law signed in West Virginia is a step forward in protecting minors from child marriage. The minimum age for marriage has been set at 16, and minors under 18 must have parental consent to get married.
Moreover, they cannot marry someone who is more than four years older than them. Del. Kayla Young, the bill's sponsor, celebrated the aspect of the bill that prohibited large age gaps.
However, advocacy groups argue that more needs to be done to protect minors from forced marriages.
Child marriage is the act of marrying one or both of the individuals involved below the age of 18.
According to Equality Now, Org., unfortunately, child marriage is still legal in 43 states in the U.S., with only Rhode Island, New York, New Jersey, Massachusetts, Delaware, Minnesota, and Pennsylvania setting the minimum age at 18 without any exceptions.
Additionally, in 20 U.S. states, there is no required minimum age for marriage, as long as there is a parental or judicial waiver.
Shockingly, between 2000 and 2018, almost 300,000 children were married in the United States, with most of them being young girls marrying adult men who were often significantly older than them.
According to the group, child marriage is a human rights abuse that causes physical and emotional harm to children, perpetuates poverty, and undermines their education and employment opportunities.
Call for more action to end child marriage and protect minors
The new law in West Virginia is an important step forward in ending child marriage, but advocates call for more action to protect minors across the United States.
Advocacy organizations are calling on lawmakers in other states to follow the example of those who have passed legislation to completely outlaw child marriage.
According to Girls Not Brides Org., the practice of child marriage particularly impacts girls, exposing them to higher risks of sexual, psychological, and physical violence and its related consequences throughout their lives.
Advocates are saying that ending child marriage would improve the lives of teens, reduce domestic violence, and prevent unwanted pregnancies.
However, even if there is more to be done, West Virginia's new law is a significant step forward in protecting minors from child marriage.
The new law restricts marriage for minors under 16 and sets restrictions for those aged 16 and 17. However, child marriage is still legal in many other states, and advocacy groups call for more action to protect minors from forced marriages.
Ending child marriage altogether is essential to protecting the rights and well-being of children across the United States.
