Our Blog

Last year, about 100 civil society organizations submitted a report to the working group tasked with reviewing the age of marriage. It was called “Young Voices” and included the views of nearly 2,500 children, adolescents and youth who expressed several concerns, including an increase in female fetocide if the age of marriage is raised to 21. A ketanne (literally “little [one]”) was any girl aged 3 to 12 years plus a day; [281] She was under her father`s authority, and he was able to arrange a marriage for her without her consent. [281] However, after reaching the deadline, she would have to accept marriage to be considered married. [282] [283] This law not only suggests that the federal government approve the practice of child marriage, but it also allows an adult to engage in sexual activity with children as young as 12 and incites sexual predators to force a child to marry them. The law can effectively turn child marriage into a “release from prison” card for predators. This law must be repealed. The repeal of 18 U.S.C. § 2243(c)(2) is a simple and reasonable step to align U.S.

laws with international standards and prevent child marriage and rape in the United States. In medieval Western Europe, the rise of Catholicism and the manor had both created incentives to keep nuclear families, and so the age of marriage increased; The Western Church introduced marriage laws and practices that undermined large kinship groups. The Catholic Church banned blood marriages, a model of marriage that had historically been a way to maintain clans (and thus their power). [14] The Roman Catholic Church circumcised marriages in which the bride did not clearly agree with the union. [15] Respondents to the report felt – as did the author of the Mitharwal letter – that raising the minimum age would discourage parents from forcing their daughters to drop out of school to marry and help girls negotiate longer. But they also felt that if their village did not have proper schools/colleges, or if the quality of education was poor, a change in the law would not stop early marriages. “You shouldn`t fix a problem immediately through a law. You need to understand the central social problem. Girls must have equal opportunities in health, education and life.

Including more women in the workforce, such as South Korea and Japan, can also help improve gender imbalances and address issues related to early marriage,” says Vinoj Manning. The Indian government has taken a commendable step by raising the minimum age for women to marry. In addition to tackling the country`s social problems, this decision would also help the economy prosper. However, legislation alone is not enough to bring about change. It should be noted that according to the 2019 report of the Ministry of Statistics and Program Implementation, the average age of marriage for women has increased to 22.1 years, which is well above the current and proposed legal minimum age. This average age is higher for urban women than for rural women. It can therefore be assumed that this change is not only voluntary, but also accelerated by an increase in incomes and the level of education. Relevant initiatives to improve access to education and employment must accompany the amendment of the law so that the change can be reflected in society. Historically, individuals were allowed to enter into a marriage contract at a very young age. This coincided with signs of puberty: such as the onset of menstruation in a woman and the growth of pubic hair in a man. In ancient Rome, the corresponding minimum age was 14 years for men and 12 years for women. [10] In New Zealand, however, the age of marriage for both men and women is 20.

In Singapore, persons under the age of 21 who wish to marry must obtain parental consent, and persons under the age of 18 also require a special licence from the Ministry of Social and Family Development. The Hanafi and Ja`fari schools of classical Islamic jurisprudence interpret the “age of marriage” in the Qur`an (24:59;65:4) as the beginning of puberty. Legal support, she says, can help girls convince their parents to let them pursue higher education and put them on the path to financial independence. In Kitáb-i-Aqdas, the age of marriage for boys and girls is set at 15. It is forbidden to get engaged before the age of 15. [296] Learn about loopholes that allow marriage under the age of 18 in most U.S. states. In India, the legal age of marriage is currently 18 for girls and 21 for boys.

Mitharwal says several of his friends were married by his family as soon as they turned 18. “At this age, girls are not prepared for marriage,” she says. “They`re just coming out of high school when their parents arrange their marriage and finish their education.” Child marriages are harmful. This is a human rights violation that legitimizes abuses and deprives girls of their autonomy. When girls are forced to marry, they are mostly exposed to state-sanctioned rape and run the risk of increasing domestic violence, forced pregnancies and negative health consequences while being denied education and economic opportunities. Equality Now and our partners are committed to setting the minimum age of marriage at 18, without exception. Büchler and Schlater mention that the schools of Islamic jurisprudence (Madhaahib) have set the following bridal age limits for boys and girls:[290] In order to put women on an equal footing with men, the NDA government led by Prime Minister Narendra Modi decided to raise the legal age of marriage for women from 18 to 21. According to Prime Minister Modi, raising the legal age of marriage will empower girls and help them build their careers.

In late antiquity, most Roman women married in their late teens until their early twenties, but noble women married younger than those in the lower classes, as an aristocratic virgin was supposed to marry until their first marriage. [5] In Late Antiquity, girls inherited equal shares from their parents under Roman law if there was no will. [9]: 63 In addition, Roman law recognized women`s property as legally separate from husbands` property,[9]: 133-154, as well as certain legal systems in parts of colonial Europe and Latin America. “If the legal age reaches 21, then a person in a sexual relationship between the ages of 18 and 20 is reprimanded or the age of majority also increases to 21 for girls,” Tuteja asked. Among academics and feminist activists, the benefits of delaying marriage are widely accepted. But the idea of a legal solution to postpone girls` marriage has alarmed many of them. They say this may not be a good way to prevent early marriage or improve maternal health, and could backfire. The minimum age requirement of 12 years for women and 14 years for men has been incorporated into English civil law. By default, these provisions became the minimum age of marriage in colonial America.

This English customary law, inherited from the British, remained in force in America unless a specific state law was enacted to replace it. In the United States, as in most developed countries, age restrictions have been revised upwards so that they are now between 15 and 21 years old. [10] Thus, young couples sometimes run away from home to get married, hoping to escape the harassment and emotional blackmail of family members. And if they are over 18, their decision to marry is legally sound and cannot be challenged by the parents. The minimum age requirements of 12 and 14 were eventually incorporated into English civil law. By default, these provisions became the minimum age of marriage in colonial America. [10] Marriages in colonial America took place on average a few years earlier than in Europe, and much higher proportions of the population eventually married. Community studies suggest an average age at marriage of about 20 years for women in the early colonial period and about 26 years for men. [29] In the late 19th century and throughout the 20th century, U.S.

states began to slowly raise the legal age at which individuals were allowed to marry. Age restrictions, as in most developed countries, have been revised upwards so that they are now between 15 and 21 years old. [10] “But the data is tricky,” says Mary E.