Child Marriage Legislation Passes Senate

The Senate unanimously passed the International Protecting Girls by Preventing Child Marriage Act on December 1st, a bill to protect women and girls in developing countries from child marriages. The bill, sponsored by Senator Richard Durbin (D-IL) and Senator Olympia Snowe (R-ME), would authorize the President to provide assistance to prevent the incidence of child marriage and promote the educational, health, economic, social, and legal empowerment of girls. The State Department is required to come up with a multi-year strategy to prevent child marriage and promote the empowerment of young girls who are at risk of child marriage.

http://durbin.senate.gov/showRelease.cfm?releaseId=328825

CARE, the international relief agency, is organizing a letter writing campaign in support of the legislation:

https://my.care.org/site/Advocacy?cmd=display&page=UserAction&id=465&s_src=redlinkadvo1208010am&s_subsrc=twadvo&utm_source=redlinkadvo1208010am&utm_medium=tm&utm_term=advo&utm_content=childmarriage&utm_campaign=sm_redcmadvo