This past Tuesday, Governor Andrew Cuomo (D) signed legislation to end child marriage in New York, raising the age of consent for marriage from 14 to 18 years old, and requiring that those who are between the ages of 17 to 18 years old to have parental and judicial consent for marriage.
This law reverses a previous law dating all the way back to 1929 (88 years ago!) that allowed children of the age of 14 to marry if granted permission by both parents and the courts, and allowed 15 and 16-year-olds to marry by just parental permission alone in the state of New York.
While it may come as a shock to many that such a law permitting child marriage existed in this country, a large number of states in the U.S. still allow child marriage — in some states children as young as 13 — with judicial consent and/or parental consent. These marriages are sometimes consensual, but most often than not tend to be arranged/forced and typically involve a very young girl marrying a much older man. Marrying at such a young age ultimately affects the well-being of a child, leading to increases in school dropout, poverty, and being a victim of violence due to the fact that these children are not old enough to be making such drastic life decisions/are being forced into a life they do not wish to live.
Data from the state health department show that between 2000 and 2010, 3,853 minors were married in New York; with eighty-four percent of these marriages involving minor girls married to adult men. In the state of New Jersey, where Governor Chris Christie (R) vetoed a law that would have banned child marriage in his state this past May, 3,499 children were married between the years of 1995 and 2012, according to the nonprofit organization Unchained At Last.
“This administration has worked tirelessly to defend exploited and disadvantaged New Yorkers, provide minors with the rights and protections that they deserve, and ensure that women are empowered to have control over their own lives, and with this legislation, we continue to help protect those who cannot protect themselves,”
– said Gov. Cuomo on the passage of the law.
47 states have yet to pass legislation against child marriage, but perhaps New York can be an example to follow in years to come.
I just signed a bill outlawing child marriage in New York State once and for all. We raised the age of consent for marriage from 14 to 18.
— Andrew Cuomo (@NYGovCuomo) June 20, 2017
