New York marriage age set to be raised to 17
A little-known state law that allows kids as young as 14 to get married is about to be removed from the books.
The Assembly on Thursday unanimously passed a bill raising the minimum wedding age to 17, and that’s only with both judicial and parental consent.
Advocates said it was about time.
“Child marriage is a human-rights violation that fosters gender inequality and exploitation and whose victims are three times more likely to suffer domestic violence, are much less likely to complete their education and are not able to bring divorce or annulment in their own names,” said Judy Harris Kluger, director of Sanctuary for Families.
The legislation, sponsored by Assemblywoman Amy Paulin (D-Westchester) and state Sen. Andrew Lanza (R-SI), ends a practice where kids between 14 and 17 could get hitched if their parents approved.
Paulin said that some of the marriages were “forced.”
“This practice is a violation of human rights that has consistently had a disproportionately discriminatory effect on young girls, inflicting physical- and mental-health issues, robbing them of educational opportunities, and increasing their risk of experiencing violence,” Paulin said.
Records show that 3,850 children between 14 and 18 were married in the state from 2000 through 2010.
Eighty-four percent were girls, but the two 14-year-olds who married in 2010 were boys.
Current state law sets 18 as the minium marriage age, but younger people have wed with the blessing or urging of their families, although 14- and 15-year-olds require court approval as well.
Kluger called that “unacceptable and outmoded.”
The new law would outlaw marriages of those under 17 entirely. No consent is needed starting at 18.
The Assembly on Thursday unanimously passed a bill raising the minimum wedding age to 17, and that’s only with both judicial and parental consent.
Advocates said it was about time.
“Child marriage is a human-rights violation that fosters gender inequality and exploitation and whose victims are three times more likely to suffer domestic violence, are much less likely to complete their education and are not able to bring divorce or annulment in their own names,” said Judy Harris Kluger, director of Sanctuary for Families.
The legislation, sponsored by Assemblywoman Amy Paulin (D-Westchester) and state Sen. Andrew Lanza (R-SI), ends a practice where kids between 14 and 17 could get hitched if their parents approved.
Paulin said that some of the marriages were “forced.”
“This practice is a violation of human rights that has consistently had a disproportionately discriminatory effect on young girls, inflicting physical- and mental-health issues, robbing them of educational opportunities, and increasing their risk of experiencing violence,” Paulin said.
Records show that 3,850 children between 14 and 18 were married in the state from 2000 through 2010.
Eighty-four percent were girls, but the two 14-year-olds who married in 2010 were boys.
Current state law sets 18 as the minium marriage age, but younger people have wed with the blessing or urging of their families, although 14- and 15-year-olds require court approval as well.
Kluger called that “unacceptable and outmoded.”
The new law would outlaw marriages of those under 17 entirely. No consent is needed starting at 18.
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