On October 12 and 13, 2017, the Tahirih Justice Center’s Forced Marriage Initiative held its second national consultation on forced marriage in the United States. Hosted by Google at their offices in Washington, DC, the meeting brought together over 40 advocates from across the country, including members of the Forced Marriage Working Group, allied professionals, experts, and survivors. Together, the group spent two days in intensive closed door sessions discussing possible policy solutions to forced marriage as well as best practices for serving individuals at risk and survivors.
To kick off the consultation, Tahirih organized a public panel event on the movement to end child marriage in the United States. Three courageous survivors of child marriage shared their stories with the audience and spoke of the importance of changing state laws that still allow children to be married in this country.
Their strength, bravery, and commitment to raising awareness about America’s child marriage problem were deeply moving and set the tone for two incredible days of consultation on confronting the issue of forced marriage in the United States.
We’re thrilled to share that our panel event on ending child marriage in America is now available to watch on YouTube. Don’t miss this inspiring conversation with survivors and advocates! To learn more about Tahirih’s Forced Marriage Initiative and the laws we can change to end child marriage, visit preventforcedmarriage.org and read our recent report.
