California bans child marriage, a practice still legal in 32 US states
Summary
California has passed a new law banning child marriage, making 18 the minimum age to marry in the state starting January 1. The law ends a practice that is still legal in 32 other U.S. states and aims to protect minors from forced and abusive marriages.Key Facts
- Governor Gavin Newsom signed the bill to ban child marriage in California.
- The law takes effect on January 1 and requires people to be at least 18 to marry.
- Before the law, there was no legal minimum age; children could marry with parental and judge approval.
- California is the 18th state to ban child marriage since 2018.
- About 9,000 girls married each year in California, mostly to adult men.
- Survivors of child marriage, like Courtney Stodden and Brittany Bee, supported the new law.
- Many child brides face abuse and are trapped in harmful marriages with no way to divorce.
- Advocates say many Americans don’t know child marriage is still legal in many states.
Read the Full Article
This is a fact-based summary from The Actual News. Click below to read the complete story directly from the original source.
