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<ul><li>The ad signs off by urging viewers to be on the alert for possible child marriages happening around them and to call 1098 to report such cases.</li><li>It is conceptualised by 82.5 Communications.</li></ul><keyword id="6390829" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="child-marriage" source="Orion">Child marriage</keyword> is a long-standing problem in India. The COVID-19 pandemic has only worsened it. Long stretches of school closure, isolation from friends and support networks, and rising poverty, have added fuel to a fire India was already struggling to put out. To prompt immediate action from a vigilant society, <keyword id="3421701" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="Akshara-Centre" source="Orion">Akshara Centre</keyword>, one of India’s leading NGOs for women and children, in collaboration with the Government of India’s <keyword id="173679" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="Ministry-of-Women-and-Child-Development" source="Orion">Ministry of Women and Child Development</keyword>, have commissioned a powerful ad film, #JustAChild. <div type="Youtube" id="Z2WrShptVfk" title="#JustAChild" thumbUrl="https://i.ytimg.com/vi/Z2WrShptVfk/mqdefault.jpg"></div> Conceptualized by 82.5 Communications, the ad features what seems like a normal wedding at first glance. Curiously, though, the bride's wedding finery and even her bindi are being removed. At the end, we realise that the bride is actually an underage girl and she is being rescued. Directed by well-known filmmaker Pradeep Sarkar, the short yet impactful ad features the powerful vocals of actress-singer Ila Arun, singing a snippet of the iconic song ‘Babul Mora Naihar Chhooto Jaye’ written by Nawab Wajid Ali Shah. In the context of a wedding, this song speaks to the sadness a bride feels because she has to leave her parent's home. In this case, the lyrics are all the more poignant because she is a child bride. But, fortunately, there is a happy ending to her story as she is rescued. The ad signs off by urging viewers to be on the alert for possible child marriages happening around them and to call 1098 to report such cases. Because every call can help rescue an underage girl being forcibly married off. The film is part of a larger campaign, #JustAChild, that aims at raising awareness about the issue across India. The official #JustAChild film was released by the Honourable Minister Adv. Yashomati Thakur in a national event organised by MAVIM and UN Women India. Popular actress, Sakshi Tanwar has extended support to the campaign. Speaking about the ad, Sumanto Chattopadhyay, Chairman and CCO, 82.5 Communications-India, said, “Amid the many crises of the pandemic, child marriage is one serious problem that was not getting enough attention. Our attempt is to correct that. Director Pradeep Sarkar and singer Ila Arun have helped us create a film with a strong impact. We hope it will be seen widely and its message taken to heart." Mayur Varma, ECD and Creative Head, Mumbai &amp; Kolkata, 82.5 Communications added, “The attempt is to use unmissable storytelling to make the message of ending child marriage unmissable.”

Ministry of Women and Child Development and Akshara Centre launch a new ad that urges the audience to report child marriages at 1098

<ul class="summary-list"><li>Bipartisan legislators who ended <keyword id="6390829" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="child-marriage">child marriage</keyword> in five states call on their colleagues in the other US states to follow their lead.</li><li>Child marriage creates a legal trap for minors, who often cannot file for divorce.</li><li>Don't cave to loopholes or compromises; there is no reason for marriage before age 18. </li><li>State Representative Kim Williams has served in the Delaware General Assembly since 2012. </li><li>Senator Sandy Pappas has served in the Minnesota Senate since 1990. </li><li>This is an <keyword id="6356002" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="100" keywordseo="opinion">opinion</keyword> column. The thoughts expressed are those of the authors. </li></ul>We ended a <keyword id="52767" type="COMPANY" weightage="60" keywordseo="Human-rights">human rights</keyword> abuse in our five states. And now we, a bipartisan group of state legislators, call on lawmakers in the remaining 45 states to do the same. End child marriage - an archaic, sexist practice that destroys girls' lives - even if you get the pushback we got at first.Unless you live in Delaware, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Minnesota, or Rhode Island, child marriage is legal in your state. In our states, we partnered with the nonprofit organization Unchained At Last to close the <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/child-marriage-us-traps-girls-still-legal-in-46-states-2021-4">dangerous legal loopholes that allowed it</a>.<h2>Child marriage is a nightmare of a legal trap</h2>Nearly<a href="https://www.unchainedatlast.org/united-states-child-marriage-problem-study-findings-april-2021/"> 300,000</a> children were married legally in the United States between 2000 and 2018, Unchained found. Most were girls wed to adult men with an average age difference of four years. Nearly all were age 16 or 17, though a few were as young as 10.Even for the most mature 17-year-olds, marriage creates a nightmarish legal trap. They can be entered into marriage by a parent and/or a judge, with little or no input from them, before they even have the basic legal rights to navigate a contract as serious as marriage.Minors typically cannot leave home to escape from parents planning an unwanted wedding or leave an abusive spouse until they are 18. They also usually cannot enter a domestic violence shelter, since these shelters usually turn away unaccompanied minors.Children cannot easily retain an attorney, since contracts with children, including retainer agreements, typically are voidable. They usually cannot even file for divorce independently. Minors typically are not allowed to bring a legal action in their own name.Even when it is not forced, marriage before 18 is a<a href="https://2009-2017.state.gov/documents/organization/254904.pdf"> human rights abuse</a>, according to the US State Department. It destroys nearly every aspect of American girls' lives, from their<a href="https://scholarship.law.wm.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?referer=https://www.unchainedatlast.org/wp-admin/post.php?post=18488&amp;action=edit&amp;httpsredir=1&amp;article=2467&amp;context=facpubs;context=facpubs"> education</a> and<a href="https://www.nber.org/system/files/working_papers/w11328/w11328.pdf"> economic opportunities</a> to their<a href="https://pediatrics.aappublications.org/content/pediatrics/early/2011/08/24/peds.2011-0961.full.pdf"> health</a>. It also triples a girl's risk of experiencing<a href="https://www.worldpolicycenter.org/sites/default/files/WORLD_Fact_Sheet_Legal_Protection_Against_Child_Marriage_2015.pdf"> domestic violence</a>.Child marriage also undermines statutory rape laws. Some<a href="https://www.unchainedatlast.org/united-states-child-marriage-problem-study-findings-april-2021/"> 60,000</a> marriages since 2000 occurred at an age or with a spousal age difference that should have been considered a sex crime, according to Unchained.<h2>Don't cave to compromise. End child marriage.</h2>You probably will get opposition when you introduce the simple, <a href="https://legis.delaware.gov/json/BillDetail/GenerateHtmlDocument?legislationId=26363&amp;legislationTypeId=1&amp;docTypeId=2&amp;legislationName=HB337onName=HB337">commonsense</a> <a href="https://www.revisor.mn.gov/bills/text.php?number=SF1393&amp;version=latest&amp;session=ls91&amp;session_year=2019&amp;session_number=0session_number=0">legislation</a> we introduced in our states, which eliminated the dangerous loopholes that allowed marriage before age 18.Do not compromise. Do not replace one loophole with another; insist on a marriage age of 18 - or higher if the age of adulthood is higher in your state - without exceptions. There is no room for negotiation when you are ending a human rights abuse.You will hear, as we did, from legislators and others whose grandmothers married at 14. Remind them that the world has changed since grandma was a kid.You will hear arguments about young love. Respond by asking what harm comes to a young couple if they wait a matter of months to marry. Minors must wait until 18 to enter almost any other contract, regardless of how passionately they feel about it.But what if a girl is pregnant, some will ask you. If the girl is too young to consent to sex, we should investigate a rape, not plan a wedding. Either way, we would be harming, not helping, if we married off pregnant girls. Studies show teen mothers in the US who marry are more likely to suffer<a href="https://scholarship.law.wm.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=2467&amp;context=facpubspubs"> economic deprivation</a> and instability than teen mothers who stay single.A teen mother who wants to co-parent with the father of the baby can easily do so outside of marriage. He can simply establish paternity, and his insurance and other benefits would cover the baby. We no longer have illegitimacy laws that punish babies born "out of wedlock."Do not be swayed by the religious argument. We do not know of any religion that requires child marriage; actually, several major religions have supported legislation to end child marriage. Besides, the <a href="https://www.law.cornell.edu/supremecourt/text/494/872"> US Supreme Court</a> has upheld laws that incidentally forbid an act required by religion, if the laws do not target religious practice.Ending child marriage does not impact reproductive rights. The <a href="https://caselaw.findlaw.com/us-supreme-court/443/622.html"> US Supreme Court</a> has established that states should treat minors' abortions differently from minors' marriage, because the former is time sensitive while the latter is not.Do not agree to a loophole that allows emancipated minors to be subjected to a human rights abuse. Emancipation is for teens who cannot be reunited with their parents; it gives them some rights of adulthood so they can fend for themselves. Teens do not need marriage to fend for themselves.Teens do not need marriage, period. If they are in an abusive home or cannot get health insurance from their parents, they deserve resources that do not require them to enter a contractual sexual relationship.Under United Nations Sustainable Development<a href="https://unstats.un.org/sdgs/metadata/?Text=&amp;Goal=5&amp;Target=5.3rget=5.3"> Goal 5.3</a>, the US joined 192 other countries in promising to end child marriage by 2030. We have achieved that goal in five states so far, despite initial resistance from our colleagues.Now we urge our fellow lawmakers in the 45 other states: Please join us. Every child in the US is relying on us to keep our promise to the world and end all marriage before 18. No exceptions. No compromises.Delaware Rep. Kim WilliamsDelaware Former Sen. Anthony DelcolloNew Jersey Sen. Nellie PouNew Jersey Asm. Nancy MunozPennsylvania Rep. Perry WarrenPennsylvania Rep. Jesse TopperPennsylvania Sen. John SabatinaMinnesota Sen. Sandra PappasMinnesota Rep. Kaohly HerRhode Island Rep. Julie CasimiroRhode Island Sen. John Burke

We are lawmakers from 5 states that finally put an end to child marriage. It's past time for the other 45 US states to follow our lead.

The country is still in the hangover of its successful <keyword id="164562" type="ORGANIZATION" weightage="20" keywordseo="Mars-mission">Mars mission</keyword>. The scientists and intelligentsia are basking in the glory of this tremendous success in the field of space technology. On mother earth though, the scene is quite different. <keyword id="3658" type="COUNTRY" weightage="20" keywordseo="India">India</keyword>, the land where mixture of culture, tradition, heritage, science, IT and modernity make for a heady concoction, there is an age-old problem that still stands out like a niggling thorn. 
 
The country is rich in human resources. Average age of an Indian is well below the quintessential 30s. The minds are modern-yet-rooted in ancestral knowledge. It is a melting pot where old and new meet to create awesome results. The ‘new’ is the perspective and the ‘old’ is the customs that don’t seem to go away. The world’s largest democracy is bearing the burden of being world’s second largest country as far as population is concerned. And there is something else that keeps India at the second rank. It is the number of child marriages that take place in the country. 
 
Recently, United Nations reported that India stood second in child marriages that happen across the world. Though the practice has been brought under the ambit of law, they continue unabated away from the watchful eyes of authorities. 
 
There have been embarrassing situations for ministers when they have attended mass marriage ceremonies and found many couples to be underage. Sometimes, such marriages have been stopped, sometimes the children go home as couple. 
 
Two things have transpired in the last two decades for India, which may well cost its global image. Between 2000 and 2012, there were majority of child marriages that went unregistered. And these years also saw India standing in the second position with rising number of child marriages. Now, a crucial point here is that the child marriages that were reported constituted this data. It is anybody’s guess as to how many such marriages may have gone unreported, without the authorities even getting the slightest wind of it. 
 
It is surprising to note that a South Indian state – Kerala, is in a prominent position as far as child marriages are concerned. Would one call it an irony that the state takes pride in being a ‘total literacy’ state too? What went wrong then? 
 
The state, which has matriarchal system, wasn’t among the most prominent names in the past. But, the slow and steady rise of this social menace has surely left the issue in a quandary. Blame it on social system or a way of treating gender balance, but the indicators surely post a worrisome picture. 
 Culture, tradition, lackadaisical implementation of laws pertaining to <keyword id="6390829" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="20" keywordseo="Child-marriage">child marriage</keyword> contribute to this practice that was mostly seen in the states of Northern India; such as Gujarat and Rajasthan where children were married even before they were born. Though the system finds its roots in tribal communities, it has surely made its way into other communities as well. 
 In fact, fighting this social issue was among the prominent things a modern India dreamt about, which was to release itself from the clutches of <keyword id="250558" type="ORGANIZATION" weightage="20" keywordseo="British-administration">British administration</keyword>. Nearly seven decades since, India is still grappling with this issue. 
 
What is surprising though is the fact that India comes second only to a country like Niger which is nowhere close to India in its growth charts. Niger boasts of 75% child marriages, where one of three girls is married off as soon as they step into teenage. In India, girls are married off before they reach a legally permissible age of 18 for marriage. 
 
Bihar, with its low literacy rate, and notorious reputation of being partners with other states that carry out female foeticide unabatedly, is the top most state in India which marries off girls even while they are underage to be a bride. 
 This is followed by <keyword id="6360371" type="COMPANY" weightage="20" keywordseo="Jharkhand">Jharkhand</keyword>, Rajasthan, Uttar Pradesh, <keyword id="6357783" type="CITY" weightage="20" keywordseo="West-Bengal">West Bengal</keyword> and Madhya Pradesh. 
 
Though the law against child marriage is applied equally to all religions with no relaxation to any particular community, the administration sometimes fails to adhere to this owing to dominance of a particular community in the area. It becomes a highly risky thing to implement laws in communities which are dominant in the area with the implementing officers being meek observant when such incidents take place. 
 
Economical instability, rising gap between rich and poor, migration and low sex ratio contribute to the social problem that is sure to cloud India’s achievements in the near future. Just as the country inches towards becoming the most populated in the world, displacing China, it would also soon have the highest number of child brides and underage bridegrooms who will find it difficult to access education or make ends meet with a natural maturity that comes with age.

India’s Infamy: Child Couple Glare At Unstable Future

<ul class="summary-list"><li>Missouri State Sen. Mike Moon defended child marriage on Tuesday, citing a couple he knows.</li><li>Moon said the couple married at age 12 and that they were still together.</li></ul>Missouri State Sen. Mike Moon defended child marriage on Tuesday, touting the apparently successful marriage of people he knows who got married when they were 12.The Republican made the comments during a debate on a bill he introduced that would <a href="https://www.insider.com/states-considering-bills-ban-gender-affirming-healthcare-transgender-youth-2023-1">ban gender-affirming care for transgender youth</a> in the state. Video of the exchange showed Democratic state Rep. Peter Meredith confronting <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/missouri-proposing-own-dont-say-gay-bill-even-harsher-florida-2023-2">Moon</a> over past comments he made about <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/wyoming-republicans-criticize-bill-raising-legal-marriage-age-to-18-2023-2">parents' rights</a> to make decisions concerning their own children."You voted 'no' on making it illegal for kids to be married to adults at the age of 12 if their parents consented to it," Meredith told Moon. "You said actually that should be the law because it's the parents' right and the kid's right to decide what's best for them. To be raped by an adult.""Do you know any kids who have been married at age 12?" Moon asked in response."I don't need to," Meredith said."I do. And guess what? They're still married," Moon replied.Moon did not immediately respond to Insider's request for comment but defended his statement on <a href="https://twitter.com/realmikemoon/status/1646227054667366418?s=20" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Twitter</a>. He wrote that the "back story" was missing, explaining "a 12-year-old impregnated a minor of similar age.""With consent of the parents, they married… and are still married today," he said, <a href="https://twitter.com/realmikemoon/status/1646244209500798982?s=20" target="_blank" rel="noopener">adding,</a> "their marriage is thriving."The <a href="https://www.news-leader.com/story/news/politics/2023/04/12/sen-mike-moon-reiterates-support-for-12-year-olds-right-to-marry-missouri-senate/70107573007/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Springfield News-Leader</a> reported that Moon has a documented history of supporting <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/child-marriage-us-traps-girls-still-legal-in-46-states-2021-4">child marriage</a> with parental consent.In 2018 the Missouri legislature passed a bill <a href="https://fox2now.com/news/missouri-marriage-age-raised-to-16-takes-effect-tuesday/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">raising the state's minimum marriage age from 15 to 16</a>, with teens under 18 requiring parental consent. Moon voted against the bill, claiming he knew a couple who had been married since they were 12, according to the outlet.

A Missouri lawmaker defended child marriage, saying kids he knows who got married at age 12 are 'still married'

<ul class="summary-list"><li>Aria Mustary's mother was a child bride at 16, and Aria's father tried to marry her off at 12.</li><li>Mustary urged her mother to leave the oppressive environment they both grew up in. </li></ul>Syeda Mustary was only 16 years old when <a href="https://www.insider.com/lesson-from-arranged-marriages-2017-6">she was married to a man</a> at least a decade older. She had just finished her first round of metrics exams in Bangladesh before her "fate was sealed" — as it was for many other girls in her homeland. Two years later, she came to the United States with her new husband and dreams of learning to drive, continuing her education, and working in this new country. Instead, she found herself unemployed and in a strained marriage with two daughters, constantly worrying about whether there would be enough money for diapers and food. History has a way of repeating itself. When Syeda's eldest daughter, Aria Mustary, was 12, her dad tried <a href="https://www.insider.com/justin-bieber-hailey-baldwin-arranged-marriage-joke-video-2020-3">to marry her</a> off to a first cousin who was twice her age because Aria was "rebellious" and "uncontrollable," and they had limited resources to look after her."When my younger sister was born, I became hyperaware of my surroundings. I saw how my mom basically was a child herself taking care of children, and I became her protector. I begged my mom to divorce him and leave the oppressive environment. Enough was enough," Aria Mustary told Insider.Syeda eventually left her husband in 2013, moving Aria and her younger sister to another apartment within Queens, New York. They had little money but hope for a more promising future. Syeda worked multiple jobs in fast food, retail, and more to make ends meet. She eventually started her own small fabric business from the teachings of all of her unpaid labor over the years and was able to make enough money to keep the girls out of poverty.<a href="https://www.insider.com/polygamous-cult-leader-accused-of-kidnapping-child-brides-arraigned-2022-12">Child marriages</a> are prevalent globally: UNICEF estimates that every year, at least <a href="https://www.ohchr.org/en/women/child-and-forced-marriage-including-humanitarian-settings" target="_blank" rel="noopener">12 million girls</a> are married before they reach the age of 18, especially in cultures where they have limited access to education, healthcare, and economic status. But this isn't just restricted to countries abroad. In the US, child marriage is still prevalent — <a href="https://www.unicefusa.org/stories/fight-continues-end-child-marriage-us" target="_blank" rel="noopener">UNICEF USA</a> reports that 44 states still allow girls under 18 to marry "under certain circumstances."<h2>It affects more girls than boys</h2>"Child marriage disproportionately impacts girls versus boys. Families who marry their children early may believe that this practice will be protective of their future by reducing financial burdens," Anjali Ferguson, a licensed psychologist and children's book author, told Insider.Ferguson said child marriage affects children's physical and emotional health. Adolescent pregnancies are often high risk and can lead to complications during childbirth, perpetuating a system of financial dependence and oftentimes poverty, an increase in domestic violence, and a lack of education because of high dropout rates.The problems surrounding child marriage are nothing new, but recent advocacy by leaders like Michelle Obama, Amal Clooney, and Melinda Gates has finally given the issue some traction in the media. Aria Mustary recognized that poverty and being considered a financial burden was the driving factor for the female figures in her life — like her mom and aunts — who were forced to wed; families that are financially insecure believe that they will be less burdened if they don't need to support their daughters. It's a cyclical process rooted in gender inequality and a lack of autonomy for women."If parents had a better option for their daughters, they would not marry them," Mustary said. "Based on my personal life, I wanted to create a program to help young girls secure their own education, have financial literacy, open bank accounts, and create incentives for families so they don't resort to marriage."<h2>She started a foundation to help girls like her</h2>So Mustary and her cofounder Aaron Wendell started the <a href="https://www.maisolifoundation.org/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Mai Soli Foundation</a> (mai soli means "never alone" in Italian). The foundation applies a holistic approach to teach high-risk girls under the age of 18 how to be self-sufficient.<div type="image" title="Aria Mustary in a classroom" height="4160" width="5546" msid="100659921" hostid="261"></div>They partner with local schools to identify high-risk girls, tackle the root financial issues, and tap into their potential with mentorship, education, and entrepreneurship to allow them to take ownership of their futures. The families become involved when girls enter the program, so all parties know the guidance their daughters are receiving and how they will use these skills to become autonomous. They teach the girls financial literacy, entrepreneurship, leadership, and confidence. Once families recognize that their daughters are helping their financial situation, the Foundation urges them to continue their schooling instead of getting married."These girls have friends or cousins that have been married young. They know what's going to happen to them if they don't find a way out. We assign 10 girls to a mentor and teach them how to voice concerns, gain financial independence, and learn basic life skills," Mustary said.Though Mai Soli Foundation currently operates in select regions in Bangladesh, Mustary aspires to expand to other areas in South Asia, including Nepal and India, in the next few years, with the goal of reaching 5,000 girls."Our mission is just to create a world without child marriage," she said. "These girls can ignite change if they have the opportunity."

At 12, she escaped from becoming a child bride. Now at 23, she helps other girls do the same.

<ul class="summary-list"><li>Wyoming is one of 8 states that does not have a minimum age requirement for marriage.</li><li>A new bill seeks to set a minimum age of 18 with an exception for 16 and 17-year-olds.</li></ul>The Wyoming Republican Party criticized a bill on Thursday that seeks to implement a minimum age requirement for marriage as the new law makes its way through the state legislature. <a href="https://www.wyoleg.gov/Legislation/2023/HB0007" target="_blank" rel="noopener">The bill</a> is sponsored by Rep. Dan Zwonitzer, a Republican, and would raise the state's legal marriage age to 18 years old. There is an exception carved for 16 and 17-year-olds provided they receive consent from a parent or guardian.In a mass email sent Thursday, the Wyoming Republican Party argued the law raises "concerns about constitutional rights" and denies "the fundamental purpose of marriage" as well as "parental rights.""Marriage is the only institution in Wyoming Statute designed to keep a child's father and mother living under the same roof and cooperating in the raising of any children that they, together, conceive. That is the NATURAL RIGHT of every child" the group wrote.The email continues that since minors are capable of bearing children before they are 16, marriage should be an open option "for the sake of those children."The Wyoming Republican Party did not immediately respond to a request for comment.In an email to Insider, Zwonitzer said "last year there was some rumbling against the bill, but no outright hostility, especially from the Party."Wyoming is one of eight US states that does not have a hard-line minimum age requirement. Other states include California, Michigan, Mississippi, New Mexico, Oklahoma, West Virginia, and Washington.Current Wyoming law states that marriages involving minors under 16 must receive court approval and parental or guardian consent.<a href="https://trib.com/news/state-and-regional/govt-and-politics/bill-would-set-minimum-age-for-marriage-in-wyoming/article_ce0269e6-96a9-11ed-b0d3-ab1203d273da.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener">According to deputy state registrar Guy Beaudoin</a>, the state of Wyoming licensed an average of 4,200 marriages per year in the last 11 years. An average of about 20 marriages per year involved someone who was 18 years or younger. Beaudoin did not specify how many of those marriages involved someone under 18.The email from the Wyoming Republican Party also linked to a blog, <a href="https://wyofamilywatch.blogspot.com/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Capitol Watch for Wyoming Families</a>, that encourages constituents to email their state representatives and ask them to vote "NO" on the bill. The website is run by a pastor.The blog post argues that the state should have legal protections for minors who wish to marry and that parents should be the "first line of defense for minors who may or may not be mature enough to give consent to marriage.""For minors to whom God has given a child, states should allow for the best interest of that child," another argument read.The bill passed a third reading in the House on January 20, 36-25, with 25 Republicans voting no. There are currently three Democrats in the House who voted yes for the bill.Rep. Mike Yin, a Democrat, <a href="https://twitter.com/itsmikeyin/status/1623791944941051904" target="_blank" rel="noopener">tweeted</a> a copy of the Wyoming Republican Party email on Thursday and accused the group of wanting children to get married "full stop.""Just to be clear, they are attacking a bill sponsored by a member of their own party," Yin wrote.Zwonitzer previously co-sponsored a similar bill in 2018 that would have set the minimum age at 18 with no exceptions, <a href="https://trib.com/news/state-and-regional/govt-and-politics/bill-would-set-minimum-age-for-marriage-in-wyoming/article_ce0269e6-96a9-11ed-b0d3-ab1203d273da.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener">according to The Casper Star-Tribune</a>. The new bill adds language around exceptions for 16 and 17-year-olds."The previous sponsor [former Democrat congressman Charles Pelkey] has had a lot of health issues and I was hoping to do something good for him by bringing it back again," Zwonitzer told Insider. "He was very invested, and it never made sense to me why the bill didn't go all the way through the legislature, so I keep bringing it back."The congressman <a href="https://cowboystatedaily.com/2023/02/10/wyoming-republican-party-blasts-child-marriage-law-says-younger-teens-should-be-able-to-marry/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">told Cowboy State Daily</a> that it is "audacious for the Republican Pary to suggest that as soon as you can give birth to a child you should be allowed to get married.""There are 12- and 13-year-olds in the country who wind up with pregnancies, and we certainly don't want them to be able to get married, in my opinion," he told the local news outlet.

Wyoming Republicans are criticizing a child marriage bill that seeks to raise the legal age to 18. It's sponsored by one of their own party members.

<ul class="summary-list"><li>New data from the United Nations' sexual and reproductive health agency suggests the <keyword id="1754604" type="PERSON" weightage="60" keywordseo="coronavirus">coronavirus</keyword> will have a globally devastating impact on women.</li><li>If lockdown continues for six months, the <a href="https://www.unfpa.org/featured-publication/costing-three-transformative-results">UNFPA report</a> forecasts it will result in 7 million unplanned pregnancies and 31 million gender-based violence cases.</li><li>The report also indicates there will be a surge in cases of child marriage and female genital mutilation.</li><li>The UNFPA's deputy executive director, Dr. Ramiz Alakbarov described the report's findings as "a catastrophe within a catastrophe."</li><li><a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/?hprecirc-bullet">Visit Business Insider's homepage for more stories</a>.</li></ul><a href="https://www.unfpa.org/featured-publication/costing-three-transformative-results">According to a new report</a> from the United Nations Population Fund (<a href="https://www.unfpa.org/featured-publication/costing-three-transformative-results">UNFPA)</a>, the United Nations' sexual and reproductive health agency, the coronavirus will have a devastating impact on women worldwide.As the COVID-19 pandemic ravages nations across the globe, health systems continue to be overloaded — facilities remain closed down or continue to limit the services they offer, including services to women and girls.The UNFPA report suggests COVID-19 is already having a profound impact on women across the globe, with many women choosing to skip crucial medical checkups through fear of contracting the virus.<div type="image" title="Female doctor teaching How to wearing Surgical mask for protect Covid-19 (coronavirus) and pm 2.5 air pollution - stock photo" height="1223" width="1631" msid="75447056" hostid="261"></div>However, the outcomes for women and their respective communities don't stop there.Speaking with Business Insider, UNFPA's deputy executive director, Dr. Ramiz Alakbarov said: "Globally, roughly 70% of the health workforce is comprised of women. At the moment, there's more risk of women being exposed [to the coronavirus] as a frontline worker.""These issues aren't exclusive to the developing world. <keyword id="6411412" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="inequality">Inequality</keyword> is less pronounced in the developed world but it's still there. It's a catastrophe," said Alakbarov. "Women are the first to lose their jobs during these crises, they're the first to stand up for the family, they take most of the brunt economically. But this report is a catastrophe within a catastrophe."<h2>The pandemic is having a profound effect on women's health</h2>The number of cases of women without access to family planning, facing unplanned pregnancies, and gender-based violence could skyrocket by millions in the months to come."The pandemic is deepening inequalities, and millions more women and girls now risk losing the ability to plan their families and protect their bodies and their health," said Dr. Natalia Kanem, UNFPA Executive Director."Women's reproductive health and rights must be safeguarded at all costs," Kanem said. "The services must continue; the supplies must be delivered, and the vulnerable must be protected and supported."<h2>If lockdown continues for six months, seven million unplanned pregnancies are expected</h2>Access to family planning is a human right, but it also saves lives and promotes healthier populations: on a national scale, it can bolster the efficiency of both healthcare systems and economies.As part of social distancing measures, many healthcare facilities have closed. Medical staff usually at the disposal of family planning services have had to rechannel their efforts into other areas of the healthcare system to help battle the pandemic.<div type="image" title="WUHAN, CHINA - FEBRUARY 21: A nurse holding a baby in a private obstetric hospital on February 21, 2020 in Wuhan, Hubei, China. Due to the shortage of medical resources in Wuhan, many pregnant women choose to give birth in private hospitals. World Health Organization (WHO) Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said on January 30 that the novel coronavirus outbreak has become a Public Health Emergency of International Concern (PHEIC). (Photo by" height="600" width="800" msid="75447059" hostid="261"></div>In addition, there is understandable hesitation among women to visit those healthcare facilities that remain open, due to concerns about COVID-19 exposure and lack of PPE. It is evident that the pandemic has already hampered women's access to and continued use of contraception.As well as the direct impact of social distancing measures on women's access to contraceptives, global supply chain disruptions may also lead to significant shortages of contraceptives.It will continue to do so the longer lockdown continues: for every three months the lockdown continues, up to an additional two million women may be unable to access modern contraceptives.If the lockdown carries on for six months, 47 million women in 114 low- and middle-income countries may not be able to access modern contraceptives — UNFPA projections suggest this would result in 7 million unintended pregnancies.<div type="image" title="WUHAN, CHINA - FEBRUARY 19: A doctor examines a pregnant woman in a private obstetric hospital on February 19, 2020 in Wuhan, Hubei, China. Due to the shortage of medical resources in Wuhan, many pregnant women choose to give birth in private hospitals. World Health Organization (WHO) Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said on January 30 that the novel coronavirus outbreak has become a Public Health Emergency of International Concern (PHEIC). (Photo by Getty Images)" height="600" width="800" msid="75447060" hostid="261"></div>Alakbarov told Business Insider that unintended pregnancies can have serious repercussions even when family planning is available."As well as resulting increased risk of abortions, hemorrhages, and miscarriages," he explained, "unwanted pregnancies effectively raise maternal mortality. Children and households will be left without mothers. It launches up a whole vicious circle."<h2>The incidence of gender-based violence will soar</h2>Gender-based violence occurs in all countries and economic and social groups.From domestic abuse to child marriage and female genital mutilation, the UNFPA's report suggests that, in the next decade, we'll see a surge not only in the number of cases but also in the levels of gender-based violence.For every three months the lockdown continues, an additional 15 million extra cases of gender-based violence are expected, the UNFPA says.<div type="image" title="Four-year-old Khadija lies in her family’s temporary shelter in the Regreshan IDP camp in Herat Province, Afghanistan, June 17, 2019. Her father, Abdul Haq, agreed to sell her to a money lender to pay off his debts. The money lender intended to give Khadija to his 15-year-old son to be his child bride. Abdul reneged on the agreement and is still attempting to pay his debts. (Photo by Kate Geraghty/Fairfax Media via Getty Images via Getty Images)" height="680" width="907" msid="75447063" hostid="261"></div>Were the lockdown to continue for another six months, efforts that would otherwise have prevented many instances of gender would be thwarted. The UNFPA indicated this would result in 31 million more cases of gender-based violence.<h2>2 million otherwise preventable cases of FGM will go ahead</h2>Often a precursor to child marriage, early marriage, and forced marriage, an estimated 200 million women alive today have already undergone FGM.As well as being detrimental to the health of young girls to the point of being life-threatening, FGM dims their prospects and has hefty economic costs, costing around $1.4 billion annually according to the <a href="https://www.who.int/news-room/detail/06-02-2020-economic-cost-of-female-genital-mutilation">WHO</a>.The COVID-19 pandemic has already disrupted programs working with the UNFPA against FGM.<div type="image" title="A woman protesting during the International Day against... MADRID, SPAIN - 2016/02/06: A woman protesting during the International Day against female genital mutilation . (Photo by Marcos del Mazo/Pacific Press/LightRocket via Getty Images)" height="683" width="911" msid="75447066" hostid="261"></div>Over the next decade, the UNFPA has predicted this delay will result in 2 million female genital mutilation cases that would otherwise have been prevented.<h2>Efforts to prevent 13 million child marriages will be thwarted</h2>Leading up to 2030, COVID-19 will also hinder efforts to end child marriage: the UNFPA has estimated that it could result in an additional 13 million child marriages, depending on how long lockdown continues.Through challenging social and cultural norms and keeping girls in the education system, many interventions until now have helped reduce the incidence of underage nuptials.<div type="image" title="DHAKA, BANGLADESH - 2014/12/03: Woman organizations protest against child marriage in front of Press Club in Dhaka. Child marriage is a big problem in Bangladesh, it now reaches to 66% those who marry before the age of 15 that lead them to many kind of health problems. (Photo by Mohammad Asad/Pacific Press/LightRocket via Getty Images)" height="683" width="911" msid="75447068" hostid="261"></div>Researchers previously predicted such interventions would have reduced the number of child marriages by almost 60 million in the period between 2020 and 2030. Deferring these interventions by just one year, on average, will reduce the number of child marriages averted by around 7.4 million.Poverty is a key contributory factor in child marriage — the severe worldwide economic fallout anticipated as a result of the pandemic would translate to poverty levels rising in low-income countries where child marriage is most prevalent.This spike in rates of poverty is expected, in turn, to increase rates of child marriage in vulnerable communities.<h2>The UN anticipates a surge in other forms of violence against women</h2>The COVID-19 pandemic is also expected to increase levels of violence. There are already indications that the incidence of domestic violence incidence is on the rise.According to research by <a href="https://kareningalasmith.com/2020/04/15/coronavirus-doesnt-cause-mens-violence-against-women/">Counting Dead Women</a>, in the UK alone, at least 16 domestic abuse killings of women and children took place in the initial three weeks of the lockdown. As well as being double the average rate, it was the largest number of killings in a three-week period for 10 years.According to the UNFPA report, research conducted by Avenir Health showed that a delay in prevention efforts will result in another 2 million more instances of intimate partner violence in 2020-2021. This translates to almost 200 million fewer cases of violence being averted by 2030.<div type="image" title="A mother and her child pose in a room in a temporary apartment of the Home association in Paris on November 22, 2016. The Home association, created in 2006, rents 3 apartments and a house in the surburbs of Paris, for a temporary relocation for women aged 18 to 30, victims of domestic violence or in family breakdown. / AFP PHOTO / GEOFFROY VAN DER HASSELT (Photo credit should read" height="600" width="800" msid="75447069" hostid="261"></div>In the short term, the main driver of this violence is likely to be the effects of stay-at-home orders and movement restrictions, which may increase women's contact time with violent partners.Mounting household tensions and economic stresses may also be a contributory factor.For an average lockdown duration of three months, projections suggest that if violence increases by 20%, there will be another 15 million cases of intimate partner violence in 2020.This figure will jump to 31 million cases for an average lockdown of six months and 61 million if the average lockdown period were to be as long as one year.<h2>Developing and developed countries will be impacted</h2>Women's suffering will have knock-on effects on their communities and entire countries' economies.Alakbarov also highlighted that communities outside of developing countries would be affected, saying: "These effects on women will also put pressure on diaspora communities outside of economically developing countries.""The map of COVID-19 is a map of poverty, of social exclusion, of lack of investment in social and economic development and its prioritization," he added.The UNFPA is working with governments to prioritize the needs of women and girls of reproductive age and to respond urgently during the challenging public health emergency.<div type="image" title="Nurse washing hands to avoid Covid 19 virus. - stock photo Nurse doing hand hygiene to prevent Coronavirus infection." height="1476" width="1968" msid="75447071" hostid="261"></div>Alakbarov said that, in order to tackle the structural inequalities girls and women face, individuals, nations, and businesses all need to reconsider their roles."Reprioritization of national budgets is needed," he stressed. "Governments have to reconsider [their priorities], as well as citizens and private sectors. If we don't over the next six months, we will see the above projections come to fruition.""This crisis has shown us that the true threat to national security doesn't come from military sources; it comes from underinvestment in basic social goods and social services. Women should be a priority," Alakbarov said."Every dollar invested in women's education and health brings back three dollars to the economy," said Alakbarov. "It's pretty much the smartest investment any government or society can make."Read the original article on <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/structural-inequality-gender-equality-coronavirus-pandemic-outbreak-contraceptives-pregnancy-fgm-2020-4">Business Insider</a>

Coronavirus crisis will see 7 million unplanned pregnancies and 31 million gender-based violence cases, the UN says

<ul class="summary-list"><li><keyword id="766648" type="PERSON" weightage="60" keywordseo="Chris-Pratt">Chris Pratt</keyword> and <keyword id="2764701" type="PERSON" weightage="60" keywordseo="Katherine-Schwarzenegger">Katherine Schwarzenegger</keyword> are expecting their first child together.</li><li>The couple were wed June 8, 2019 in a small ceremony in California.</li><li>This is Pratt's second child. He shares a son with Anna Faris from a previous marriage.</li><li>This is Schwarzenegger's first child.</li><li><a href="https://www.insider.com/?hprecirc-bullet">Visit Insider's homepage for more stories</a>.</li></ul><a href="http://insider.com/category/chris-pratt">Chris Pratt</a> and Katherine Schwarzenegger are pregnant!People first reported the "Guardians of the Galaxy" star and author <a href="https://people.com/parents/chris-pratt-katherine-schwarzenegger-pregnant-expecting-first-child/">are expecting their first child</a> after 10 months of marriage.Pratt and Schwarzeneggar were married June 8, 2019 during an <a href="https://www.insider.com/chris-pratt-marries-katherine-schwarzenegger-thanks-armani-celebrity-comments-2019-6">"intimate" California ceremony</a> surrounded by friends and family.This will be Schwarzenegger's first child. Pratt shares 7-year-old son Jack with Anna Faris from a previous marriage.Schwarzeneggar recently published her fourth book, "The Gift of Forgiveness," in March. The New York Times' bestseller shares stories and interviews on being able to let go of resentment.More to come...Read the original article on <a href="https://www.insider.com/chris-pratt-katherine-schwarzenegger-pregnant-first-child-2020-4">Insider</a>

Chris Pratt and Katherine Schwarzenegger are expecting their first child together

NEW DELHI (<a class="cite">Thomson Reuters Foundation</a>) - The family of a 19-year-old Indian girl has been ostracized and fined 1.6 million rupees ($25,000) by a village council after she rejected a marriage arranged when she was a baby, the girl and her parents said on Wednesday.
<a class="cite">Santadevi Meghwal</a>, from the western desert state of&#xa0;<a class="cite">Rajasthan</a>, said she was married off at 11 months old to a nine-year-old boy in her village, 60 km (37 miles) south of Jodhpur.
Meghwal became aware of her marriage at the age 16 and, with the support of her parents, refused to go and live with her husband and in-laws as they demanded.
"I was 11 months old when I was married off. It was only when I grew up that I realized what had happened," Meghwal told the&#xa0;<a class="cite">CNN-IBN television station</a>&#xa0;on Wednesday. "I want to study and become a teacher. I don't want to go there," she added.
Meghwal's family said her husband's family refused to annul the marriage and took the matter to the council in Rohichan Khurd village, which imposed the fine and banished the family from the community.
"The community is forcing us to send our daughter to the groom's and if we don't, they are demanding 16 lakh (1.6 million) rupees from us,"&#xa0;<a class="cite">Padmaram</a>, Meghwal's father, told&#xa0;<a class="cite">the NDTV news</a>&#xa0;channel.
Members of the village council and Meghwal's husband and in-laws were not immediately available for comment.
A local charity, the Sarathi Trust, said it was helping the family, was planning legal action against the members of the village council, and had advised Meghwal's in-laws to agree to an annulment of the marriage.
Child marriage is illegal in&#xa0;<a class="cite">India</a>, but it is deeply rooted in Indian society and remains widespread in parts of the country. About 47 percent of women aged between 20 and 24 were married before the age of 18, according to government figures.

In&#xa0;<a class="cite">Rajasthan</a>&#xa0;- one of&#xa0;<a class="cite">India</a>'s premier tourist destinations where millions visit its ancient fortresses and join camel-back desert safaris - some 65 percent of women were child brides, above the national average.
Gender experts say the practice hampers efforts to improve the status of women, as it cuts across every part of a girl's development and creates a vicious cycle of malnutrition, poor health and ignorance.
A child bride is more likely to drop out of school and have serious complications during pregnancy and childbirth. Her children are more likely to be underweight and will be lucky to survive beyond the age of five.

An Indian child bride is facing a $25,000 fine for rejecting her arranged marriage

The U.S. <keyword id="6354977" type="ORGANIZATION" weightage="60" keywordseo="Supreme-Court">Supreme Court</keyword> is going to hear <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/supreme-court-hears-gay-marriage-2012-12">two major gay rights cases</a> in March, including a fight to bring back California's <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/proposition-8-advocates-file-first-brief-2013-1">anti-gay marriage law Proposition 8.</a>
One of the star witnesses for the anti-gay marriage camp in the 2010 Prop 8 trial was David Blankenhorn, a "traditional marriage advocate" and founder of the <a href="http://www.americanvalues.org/">Institute for American Values.</a>
<a href="http://www.nytimes.com/2013/01/30/us/in-shift-blankenhorn-forges-a-pro-marriage-coalition-for-all.html">In a bizarre turn of events,</a> Blankenhorn is enlisting gays to support his cause, The <keyword id="53556" type="CITY" weightage="60" keywordseo="New-York-Times">New York Times</keyword> reported this week.
On Thursday, Blankenhorn issued a call to arms to start a "<a href="http://www.americanvalues.org/marriage-a-new-conversation/index.php">new conversation on marriage</a>." He argued everybody (gays included!) should be invested in promoting marriage and its benefits for child-rearing and financial stability.
"We propose a new conversation that brings together gays and lesbians who want to strengthen marriage with straight people who want to do the same," his statement says.
Blankenhorn's views on <keyword id="21192" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="Gay-marriage">gay marriage</keyword> have pretty much done a 180 since 2010.
During the Prop. 8 trial in California three years ago, Blankenhorn <a href="http://prop8.berkeleylawblogs.org/2010/01/31/blankenhorn-testifies-about-marriage-scholarship-and-soul-searching/">testified for seven hours on just one day</a>, then-Berkeley <keyword id="6355470" type="CITY" weightage="100" keywordseo="Law">Law</keyword> student <a href="http://amandabeck.com/about.html">Amanda Beck</a> wrote in a blog dedicated to the case.
Here's how Beck described Blankenhorn's testimony:
Blankenhorn’s primary testimony was that marriage is a socially-approved, sexual relationship between a man and a woman. He said this central feature appeared almost uniformly throughout human history and that almost every culture used marriage to fix a legal and social relationship between a child and her biological parents. 
So, why does Blankehorn now think gays have a stake in the fight to "preserve" marriage?
In an explosive June 2012 op-ed in The New York Times, Blankenhorn <a href="http://www.nytimes.com/2012/06/23/opinion/how-my-view-on-gay-marriage-changed.html?_r=1">revealed why he'd changed his stance</a>. Essentially, he realized the anti-gay marriage movement was about bigotry.
"[T]o my deep regret, much of the opposition to gay marriage seems to stem, at least in part, from an underlying anti-gay animus," he wrote. "To me, a Southernor by birth whose formative moral experience was the civil rights movement, this fact is profoundly disturbing."

You Searched For "child marriage" and got 10 results

Ministry of Women and Child Development and Akshara Centre launch a new ad that urges the audience to report child marriages at 1098

BI India Partner

We are lawmakers from 5 states that finally put an end to child marriage. It's past time for the other 45 US states to follow our lead.

Sandy Pappas,Kim Williams

India’s Infamy: Child Couple Glare At Unstable Future

Preetam Kaushik

A Missouri lawmaker defended child marriage, saying kids he knows who got married at age 12 are 'still married'

Kelsey Vlamis

At 12, she escaped from becoming a child bride. Now at 23, she helps other girls do the same.

Pooja Shah

Wyoming Republicans are criticizing a child marriage bill that seeks to raise the legal age to 18. It's sponsored by one of their own party members.

Lloyd Lee

Coronavirus crisis will see 7 million unplanned pregnancies and 31 million gender-based violence cases, the UN says

Ruqayyah Moynihan

Chris Pratt and Katherine Schwarzenegger are expecting their first child together

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An Indian child bride is facing a $25,000 fine for rejecting her arranged marriage

Alexander Lockie

How A Star Witness In The Case Against Gay Marriage Became A Huge Gay Ally

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