Ohio is one of 34 states still allowing girls under 18 to marry while men must be 18 in the state. And although Ohio raised the minimum age in 2019, 17-year-olds can still wed with court approval if their spouse is no more than four years older. Now, a bipartisan bill seeks to close that gap permanently and make marriage for any minor illegal, no exceptions. 

Survivors and advocates warn of lasting harm 

Advocates for survivors of domestic violence and sexual assault have long warned that child marriage creates serious risks. When one spouse is under 18, the power imbalance can be extreme. That imbalance, they warn, can increase vulnerability to abuse and exploitation. Maria York of the Ohio Domestic Violence Network explained that minors who marry often cannot access domestic violence shelters. They may also struggle to file for divorce or hire an attorney. In some cases, they cannot even sign a lease independently. 

York said in Statehouse News: 

When one spouse is a minor, the power imbalance is easier to exploit, harder to push back against, and harder to escape.

For survivors, these risks are not theoretical. Stephanie Lowry was married shortly after turning 16. She was pregnant at the time. Her husband was 19. What followed, she says, was violence and trauma. 

Lowry shared: 

I had to wait till I was 18 to end the marriage. I didn’t survive because the system worked. I survived despite it. Child marriage made my life harder than it ever needed to be. 

Lowry says the experience shaped every part of her life. Leaving at 18 did not undo the harm. Instead, it marked the beginning of years of rebuilding. 

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