A new law in new Jersey prohibits child marriages. The minimum age required for marriage or marriage, now raised to 18 years.
The Governor of the state of new Jersey, Philip Murphy, signed the document, which increases the minimum age for marriage to 18 years. Human rights groups have organized several events to draw attention to the bill, to which the ex-Governor Chris Christie vetoed.
After Delaware, new Jersey will become the second US state that adopts such a law. Previously, 16 — and 17-year-old residents were allowed to marry with parental consent. Those who are under the age of 16, it required the consent of the judge. The new law requires young people to wait until 18.
Unchained At Last, a nonprofit organization that helps young women and girls, forced marriage, also spoke in support of reform. At the hearings in the Committee, the activists said that teenage forced marriage practiced by some of the conservative religions, is more widespread than you can imagine. Fredy Reiss, founder of an organization called the law «a huge victory for girls and women of new Jersey».
According to the State Department of health, from 1995 to 2015 in new Jersey married 3 628 minors, 95 percent of them were aged 16 to 17 years. The worst thing is that statistics include girls who hadn’t turned 13 — they were married to adult men.
Senator Nellie POU, who initiated the bill, said, «We have a moral responsibility to children. To protect them from forced marriage in new Jersey- our duty».
Thank you @UnchainedAtLast, @FraidyReiss & everyone who worked so hard to help New Jersey become the 2nd state to #endchildmarriage! https://t.co/ObaIEmo55y
— Chelsea Clinton (@ChelseaClinton) June 22, 2018
National organization for women of new Jersey and Human Rights Watch supported the legislation. Chelsea Clinton also congratulated the staff. «Thank you, Unchained At Last, Fredy rice and everyone who worked hard to make new Jersey became the second state prohibiting child marriage» — she wrote in his Twitter.