Curbing Child Marriages
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The Sept. 14 front-page article "Bangladeshi Child Star Hopes Life Will Mirror Art" underscored the tragic experiences that millions of young girls in the developing world face when they reach what their communities consider a marriageable age -- some as young as 9.
Sens. Richard J. Durbin (D-Ill.) and Chuck Hagel (R-Neb.) and Rep. Betty McCollum (D-Minn.) have introduced bipartisan legislation to curb child marriage by addressing its root causes -- poverty and inequality. Their bills would monitor child marriage in the annual U.S. human rights reports and authorize modest funds to support community-based programs targeting adolescent girls to prevent early marriage.
Those who read the article may be wondering what they can do. One simple step is to ask their elected officials to support these bills.
Approximately 50 million girls are married in the developing world, and 100 million more girls are expected to marry in the next decade if nothing changes. By urging Congress to support this legislation, we can begin to reverse this trend. Collectively, in partnership with developing countries, we can help girls walk into classrooms, not down the aisle.
KATHLEEN SELVAGGIO
Senior Policy Advocate
International Center for Research on Women
Washington
