Contact: Phuong Nguyen
(571) 249-2114
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: June 14, 2024
Falls Church, VA — Governor Chris Sununu has signed SB 359 into law raising the legal age of marriage to 18 without exceptions in New Hampshire, making it the 13th state to end child marriage. This builds on progress made in 2019, when compromise legislation raised New Hampshire’s minimum marriage age from 13 to 16.
“The passage of SB 359 marks a significant step forward in protecting the rights and well-being of children in New Hampshire, ensuring that they are protected from the harms associated with child marriage,” said Alex Goyette, Public Policy Manager at the Tahirih Justice Center. “By finishing the work started in 2019, New Hampshire has become a leader in the national movement to end child marriage.”
Child marriage is a pervasive issue with far-reaching consequences, including increased risk of poverty, limited educational opportunities, and heightened vulnerability to domestic violence. Among other concerns, child marriages are often forced marriages between young girls and adult men. The Tahirih Justice Center is proud to be partnering with survivors to help lead the movement to end child marriage across the nation, working to change antiquated state laws that fail to protect children from abuse and coercion.
We are grateful to the bipartisan group of legislators who ensured its passage in both chambers, particularly Rep. Cassie Levesque for her persistence on this issue, and to the advocates – especially the survivors of child marriage – whose years of campaigning have finally paid off. We hope their leadership will inspire the remaining 37 states that currently allow child marriage to follow suit so that we can see a swift end to child marriage across the United States.
For further comments on this topic, please email [email protected].
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The Tahirih Justice Center is a national, nonprofit organization that serves women, girls, and all immigrant survivors of gender-based violence. By amplifying the experiences of survivors, our mission is to create a world in which all people share equal rights and live in safety and with dignity.
