The state of Massachusetts will now protect children from being forced or coerced into a legally binding contract that strips away any protection and rights they have as single minors.

After 7 long years, Maryland has taken action to protect children by limiting child marriage in the state. House Bill 83 does not ban child marriage in the state of Maryland altogether, but it is a major step in the right direction and responds to many of the concerns raised by advocates and survivors. The new law passed with strong, bi-partisan majorities in both the House and Senate.

Tahirih’s policy work is rooted in our core values and in our specific theory of change. Inspired by the Bahá’í faith and grounded in our belief in the oneness of humanity, we reach for a society that embraces our diversity and guarantees everyone’s human rights. Our mission is to advance policies and laws that enable immigrant survivors of gender-based violence to pursue legal immigration status, live in safety, and forge their own paths. Everything we do is in service of that goal.

The immigration system is shattered. Survivors are denied access to safety because of policies and practices that could be fixed. The Tahirih Justice Center is prioritizing the following policy goals to immediately improve protections for immigrant survivors while simultaneously seeking long-term, systemic change.

Yesterday, Maryland’s House of Delegates passed legislation that would raise the minimum age for marriage in Maryland from 15 to 17. We are grateful to Del. Vanessa E. Atterbeary for championing House Bill 83 and to Delegate Emily Shetty for ensuring the amended version remains strong after considering the Senate’s concerns. HB 83 would ban 17-year-olds from marrying someone who is older than them by four years and would require the 17-year-old to appear before a judge who will evaluate the intended marriage for signs of coercion.

Last night, the Senate reauthorized the Violence Against Women Act (VAWA), a vote that was six years in the making. The Tahirih Justice Center applauds Sens. Dianne Feinstein (D-Calif.), Dick Durbin (D-Ill.), Lisa Murkowski (R-Alaska) and Joni Ernst (R-Iowa) for their legislative leadership in the fight to get VAWA over the finish line. The new authorization provides more than $500 million to increase resources for survivors of violence.

The Washington Post’s columnist Petula Dvorak interviewed Tahirih’s Public Policy Director, Casey Swegman Carter, on the importance of passing a legislation that would end child marriage in Maryland. This is the seventh year a bill has been introduced that seeks to ban child marriage in the state.

Tahirih’s Senior Public Policy Associate, Alex Goyette, wrote an opinion piece for the Baltimore Sun. The commentary elevates the importance of passing legislation to end child marriage in Maryland.