California bans child marriage, a practice still legal in 32 US states

California has officially outlawed child marriage, with Governor Gavin Newsom signing legislation to end the practice that remains legal in 32 US states. The new law will take effect on January 1st, requiring individuals to be 18 years old to marry in the Golden State. Newsom hailed it as a long overdue measure to safeguard young Californians and minors.

The bill was signed into law with Courtney Stodden, whose parents permitted her to wed a 50-year-old Hollywood actor when she was merely 16. Stodden, who has been a vocal advocate for ending the practice, described the change as a victory and expressed that survivors of child marriage should never have been burdened with carrying out such unions.

Stodden pledged to continue fighting until all 50 states ban child marriage. Stodden, who wed actor Doug Hutchison in 2011, drew international attention to the controversy and made appearances on various reality shows, including VH1's Couples Therapy. Other survivors of child marriage commended the new law. Brittany Bee, a former child bride, told the BBC that California had sent a clear message to the world, one of hope and freedom for children to be protected from systemic violence and to choose their own paths.

Bee herself was wed at 17 to flee an abusive home, only to later suffer abuse at the hands of her adult husband. She emphasized that kids cannot consent, and Unchained At Last, an advocacy group working to end child marriage across the US, reported that approximately 9,000 girls are wed annually in California, with nearly all cases involving girls marrying adult men.

Advocates argue that many in the US remain unaware that child marriage is legal in numerous states and its association with allegations of abuse. Sara Tasneen, who was compelled to marry a man nearly twice her age at 15, expressed relief at finally having the state acknowledge the need for a ban. Tasneen, who began advocating for the change in 2017, married her husband on their wedding day and became a mother the following year, dropping out of school.

She emphasized the marathon-like effort that led to the bill's passage, expressing gratitude that children will no longer be allowed to marry in California starting January 1, 2027.