New York state has raised the age of marriage to 17 in an effort to prevent child marriage.
The change took effect Thursday, a month after lawmakers voted to rewrite a state law that had allowed children as young as 14 to legally wed.
Under the new rules, an individual aged 17 must receive judicial approval before marrying.
New York had been one of only three states that allowed 14-year-olds to marry, the others being North Carolina and Alaska.
More than 3,800 minors were married in New York between 2000 and 2010. Supporters of the new rules say child brides are often forced to give up economic and educational opportunities and are frequently the victims of domestic violence.
(AP)
Join the official YWN WhatsApp status
One Response
Actually most US states have no minimum age in their law governing marriage.
Anyone younger than the minimum age in their state wishing to marry can legally go to another state that allows younger marriages and legally marry out of state.