Washington, DC on the verge of outlawing child marriage
Washington, DC is poised to pass the Child Marriage Prohibition Amendment Act, which would ban child marriage in the district. On December 17, the City Council unanimously approved the bill, setting the minimum age of consent for marriage at 18. The bill was approved by Mayor Bowser and is now on its way to Congress. If Congress does not pass a joint resolution of disapproval within the 30-day review period, the bill will become law, reports Tahirih Justice Center.
If enacted, DC will join 13 U.S. states that have banned child marriage since 2016. Alex Goyette, Public Policy Manager at the Tahirih Justice Center, called the vote “a resounding victory for children in the District and throughout the U.S.,” adding:
“This reform continues the mid-Atlantic’s leadership in the campaign to end child marriage across the US, and setting another example that the remaining 37 states should follow. We look forward to swift approval of this legislation by Congress.”