International Women's Health Coalition - International Women's Health Coalition :: International Protecting Girls by Preventing Child Marriage Act (H.R. 2103, S. 987)

Promote the human right of marrying with free and full consent. In places where child marriage is practiced, girls rarely have any say in when and whom they marry. They are often physically and psychologically unprepared for this responsibility. And given that child marriage is often the community norm - and girls and women are already undervalued - it is unlikely that girls are empowered to voice their objections to the marriage. Once married, these young girls are given limited autonomy, removed from continued education and often face a greater risk of violence within marriage.

Help promote sexual and reproductive health. When parents of a girl - often only 8 or 10 or 12 years old - marry her off, more often than not it is to a man two or three times her own age. Even when the age disparity is less than that, he is likely to have been sexually active prior to the wedding, and may continue on to have multiple partners. At that age, a girl's knowledge about sexuality and reproduction is limited, and she will become part of a sexual relationship that includes unprotected sex, and a strong community desire for her to produce a child right away (preferably a boy). Delaying marriage and providing quality sexuality education will help reduce maternal mortality and other illnesses, obstetric fistula, and sexually transmitted infections, including HIV, while improving the health of future children. In many developing countries, the leading causes of death for girls aged 15-19 are complications related to pregnancy and childbirth. The risk grows for girls married at age 14 and younger - their chance of dying in pregnancy or childbirth is five times that of those aged 20-24.

And prevent HIV. Closely linked to the points above, child marriage increases the risk of contracting HIV. In developing countries, most sexually active adolescent girls are married, and have higher rates of HIV infection than sexually active girls who are not married. Among 15- to19-year-old girls in Kisumu, Kenya, nearly 33% of married girls were HIV positive, compared to 22.3% of their sexually active, unmarried peers. Sex in marriage is more frequent and often unprotected - due to girls' lack of power and/or a desire for children.

Contact your Representative and Senators and ask him or her to co-sponsor the International Protecting Girls by Preventing Child Marriage Act. Click here to find the contact information for your Representative and here to find your Senators.