US Friends, Take a Stand For Girls: Fight Child Marriage

Please click on and sign:
International Protecting Girls by Preventing Child Marriage Act (H.R. 2103/S.983)

From CARE

BACKGROUND

Breaking News: The U.S. Senate just passed the Child Marriage Act! Now, it is up to the House of Representatives.

Child marriage is forced marriage. Sixty million girls around the world ages 17 and younger – many as young as 10 – are forced into marriage.

The consequences of this pervasive human rights violation are grim and, often, deadly.

Child brides have a diminished chance of completing their education, resulting in limited opportunities and income-earning potential later in life. These girls also are twice as likely to be beaten or threatened with violence by their husbands compared to girls who marry later in life. In addition, child marriage is usually accompanied by early child bearing, placing young girls at risk for complications during and after childbirth. In fact, complications associated with pregnancy and childbirth is a leading cause of death for girls ages 15-19 worldwide. In sum both a violation and a barrier to progress on a range of development issues.

You can take action to help end this practice this week. The good news is the Senate has already passed the legislation, but before the bill becomes law, we need the House of Representatives to do the same before Congress adjourns this year.

Time is running out! Please stand with us to tell the House of Representatives that the cost of child marriage it too high to ignore and they must act now.

Related | Escaping Forced Marriage

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MESSAGE TEXT

You have an opportunity now to take action now to prevent child marriage.  Now more than ever we need your support. The Senate just has unanimously passed the bipartisan International Protecting Girls by Preventing Child Marriage Act. I now urge you to call on your leadership and ask them bring this legislation to a vote in the House or Representatives so that this bill can be passed before Congress adjourns for the year. This legislation would make a positive difference in millions of girls’ lives. The cost of child marriage is too high to ignore.

The legislation will recognize child marriage as a human rights violation, scale up successful approaches to prevent child marriage and integrate child marriage prevention approaches throughout U.S. foreign assistance; therefore, making our efforts to combat child marriage more successful and effective.

More than 60 million girls ages 17 and younger–many as young as 10–are forced into marriage in developing countries. These child brides are twice as likely to be beaten or threatened with violence by their husbands compared to girls who marry later in life. In addition, child marriage is usually accompanied by early child bearing, placing young girls are risk for complications during and after childbirth. In fact, complications associated with pregnancy and childbirth is a leading cause of death for girls ages 15-19 worldwide.

You have the chance to help girls around the world avoid early marriage by calling on your leadership to vote and help pass this legislation today. Time is running out for million of girls around the world.  Please stand with me today to help pass H.R. 2103/S.987 and help bring an end to this heartbreaking violation of girls’ human rights.

Please remember to click on and sign:
International Protecting Girls by Preventing Child Marriage Act (H.R. 2103/S.983)

See More … HUMAN RIGHTS