In some US states, children are allowed to be married from 14 years of age. The North Carolina Parliament has now passed a law that raises the minimum age for child marriage.
The US state of North Carolina is on the verge of raising the minimum age at which children can marry there from 14 to 16 years.
The bill in question was passed unanimously this week and now goes to Democratic Governor Roy Cooper, who is about to be signed. “Although the legislation does not raise the age of marriage to 18, the governor supports this move to end child marriage and protect children in North Carolina,” said Mary Scott Winstead, a spokeswoman for the governor, in a statement to CNN that first had reported about the innovation.
Child marriage partially legal from 14 years
Currently in North Carolina, girls as young as 14 years old who are pregnant can marry the fathers of babies with the permission of a judge. Boys at the age of 14 can also legally marry the mothers of their newborn or unborn babies. Under the new law, the age at which minors could marry would be 16 years old, with children requiring parental or guardian permission or the approval of judges to tie the knot.
A judge’s approval would only be given after determining that “the marriage serves the best interests of an underage party”. In addition, the new regulation stipulates that the age difference between a 16 or 17 year old and his or her future spouse must not be more than four years.
Usually parental consent is required
If signed by Cooper, the measure would take effect immediately. While the law does not completely prohibit child marriage, it would bring the state of North Carolina closer to the rules of other states in the US, which require majority parental consent for minors to marry.
Although most states have set the minimum age at 18, exceptions in 44 states allow children under the age of 18 to marry, according to Unchained At Last; an organization that works to end forced and child marriage. 14 states currently allow children under the age of 16 to marry. Delaware, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Minnesota, Rhode Island and New York have banned child marriage in recent years, the organization said.
248,000 married children
Vickie Sawyer of Republican North Carolina, a supporter of the amendment, told CNN that the move “will protect our most vulnerable youth from the harm of forced child marriage, including abuse and exploitation. I am thrilled that we could pass this law with unanimous, bipartisan support. ”
According to an analysis by Unchained At Last, approximately 248,000 children were married in the United States between 2000 and 2010. The majority of them were young girls married to adult men. Some of the children were married so young or had such significant age differences with their spouses that sexual relations between the couples would then constitute rape under the new law.
Swell: ,
David William is a talented author who has made a name for himself in the world of writing. He is a professional author who writes on a wide range of topics, from general interest to opinion news. David is currently working as a writer at 24 hours worlds where he brings his unique perspective and in-depth research to his articles, making them both informative and engaging.
