In California, the applicable law is found in California Family Code Sections 302 and 304 (2019): “An unmarried person under the age of 18 may obtain a marriage certificate upon receipt of a court order authorizing the person or persons to marry in accordance with the requirements described in Section 304.” [11] Historically, Section 56 of the California Civil Code (1872) established 15 as the age at which a woman could marry without her parents` consent. In 1921, the age was raised to 18. [12] Unchained At Last found that between 2000 and 2018, nearly 300,000 children under the age of 18 were legally married. Yet shelters and domestic violence services often struggle to help married minors, especially if they have children, Acheson said. Animal shelters generally accept adults with children, but not children with their own children, she explained. Youth shelters are usually for homeless minors and do not care for those fleeing child marriage, she added. In addition, shelters are required to call a legal guardian or child protection services about unaccompanied minors, which can be scary for youth trying to escape an abusive husband or forced parent. Sophora Acheson, executive director of Ruby`s Place, a San Francisco Bay Area organization that helps survivors of domestic violence and human trafficking, said she and her staff meet dozens of child marriage victims each year. These survivors usually married between the ages of 13 and 17. Many are adults when they ask for help. But did you know that only four U.S.
states meet this standard and that the federal government has an exception for legal child rape? Equality Now works globally to end child, early and forced marriage by leveraging our legal expertise to support partners, individual cases and legislative efforts. The United States should be no exception. This is most common in West Virginia and Texas, where about seven in 15- to 17-year-olds were married in 2014, compared with five in 1,000 nationally. Several other southern and western states, including Oklahoma, Arkansas, Tennessee, North Carolina, Nevada and California, also have above-average rates of child marriage. The legal age is 17 in 10 states, while another 21 set the standard at 16. In Maryland, Hawaii and Kansas there are 15, North Carolina and Alaska allow them with 14. Puerto Rico is a territory of the United States and its inhabitants are U.S. citizens.
In Puerto Rico, the general age of marriage is 21, as that is the age of majority. The general age of marriage in Puerto Rico is 21 or 18 with parental consent. [35] In Guam, the general age is 18, but 16-year-olds may marry with the consent of at least one parent or guardian. [36] In American Samoa, the age of marriage has been 18 for both sexes since September 2018. Previously, the age of marriage for women was 14. [37] American Samoa does not allow marriages with minors. In the District of Columbia, the general age is 18, but 16-year-olds may marry with exceptions. [35] In the U.S. Virgin Islands, the age of marriage is 14 for women and 16 for men. [38] In the Northern Mariana Islands, men must be 18 to marry, while women can marry at 16 with parental consent.
[39] Sexual relations with children are illegal. Having sex with your wife is not. I agree that children are not allowed to marry. Marriage is for adults and the legal age of majority is 18. “The solution is to end (under-18 marriage),” she said. “No child should marry, period. These laws are outdated. Every forced marriage fails and the contract is illegal, please go back and read the Muslim book Saheeh and you can see that the religious leader in this matter never lets a child marry under any circumstances.
Because children can`t make these vital decisions. And parents don`t always make decisions in their child`s best interest. We cannot count on that! and come on!! A child whose spouse is over 18 or 21 years of age and who allows him or her to marry. When a child becomes pregnant with an older man, the child needs to be in a safe environment and get professional help to see if it`s a healthy relationship and if it`s good. Then they can later decide to marry at the legal age. I think it is better for the child and for the child born that they know that the parents were together of their own free will and love, not by law or grandparents who decided it was best.