Episode 42: Child Marriage: A Hidden Form of Slavery and Sexual Exploitation

Child marriage is a reality for girls (and boys) around the world. It is defined as formal marriage or informal unions before the age of 18. South Asia is known to have the highest number of child marriages in the world, but it happens all over the world, including the U.S. In fact, only two U.S. states have laws against child marriage. Within the last 20 years, the youngest recorded U.S. marriage was with a 10 year old child. Genevieve Meyer, founder and Director of the Resiliency Foundation, is a survivor of child marriage. She knows that when female children are married off, they are more likely to experience domestic violence, have more children, be less educated, and be trapped in marriages. She fights against child marriage and is one of the advocates that supported the passage of a law against child marriages in the State of Indiana. Genevieve discusses her experience, her work against child marriage, and ways to research what your state allows.