Summary: The International Child Marriage Prevention and Assistance Act (S. 3651) would support community-based efforts to reduce child marriage -- a cultural practice that puts girls' lives and health at risk. The bill would improve girls' access to needed health care services, education, and economic opportunities; reduce gender and sexual violence; work with community organizations to educate citizens about the risks associated with child marriage; and, by way of those community organizations, provide needed support for girls who are already married. The bill would require the Secretary of State to adopt and implement comprehensive strategies aimed to address and reduce child marriage, which is defined as anyone married before the legal age limit.

What You Should Know: Nearly half of the 331 million girls currently aged 10-19 who live in the countries of the developing world (excluding China) will be married by their 20th birthdays -- and in many places, those child marriages will occur before the girls reach age 14. Child marriage is a cultural practice (rejected in several international agreements) that violates human rights, and puts girls' health at risk. Girls anywhere from age 8 to 14 are often married to men two to three times their own age -- who have been (and often continue to be) sexually active with other partners. These girls face acute risk of HIV infection and other sexually transmitted infections. In addition, in parts of the developing world, child marriage unavoidably leads to early pregnancy, and pregnant girls ages 10 to 14 are obstetric fistula.

Sponsor(s): Sen. Richard J. Durbin (D-IL)

Introduction Date: July 12, 2006

Last Major Action: Referred to the Committee on Foreign Relations