Oregon is on the path to outlawing child marriage with the introduction of Senate Bill 548, which seeks to prohibit individuals under 18 from marrying, even with parental consent. Presently, Oregon permits 17-year-olds to marry if they have a guardian’s approval. As reported by OPB, the bill has garnered bipartisan support, passing unanimously in the Senate Judiciary Committee and now awaits a Senate floor vote.
“I was isolated and trapped”
Between 2000 and 2021, an estimated 3,600 minors married in Oregon, with 83% being girls who wed men about four years older. The risks associated with underage marriage are detrimental, including limited legal rights for minors to escape abusive relationships and potential exploitation by older spouses. Stories from individuals such as Amy Turpin, who married at 17 after having her new husband’s child at 16, underscores these concerns.
Turpin testified that her husband quickly isolated her after their wedding, taking her away from her home state before she turned 18. Without legal protections, she had no means to leave. She also described how he took control of her finances, leaving her with no access to her own money.
“He moved me out of state immediately before I was 18, so I was isolated and trapped…The first day banks were open after the wedding, he closed my accounts. So he got every bit of my earnings. Every worst-case scenario you can imagine has probably happened to me since then.”
A broader movement
If enacted, Oregon would join at least 13 other states that have banned child marriage without exception. Currently, Oregon is among 10 states allowing 17-year-olds to wed with parental consent, while other states set minimum ages at 16 or 15, or have no age limit. The United Nations Population Fund considers underage marriage a human rights violation, further supporting the need for legislative action.
In a hearing last month, nonprofit Unchained At Last warned that parents can use child marriage to escape financial responsibility and exploit it as a loophole to evade statutory rape laws. Becca Powell, the advocacy director for Unchained At Last told lawmakers:
“We all know that nobody wakes up on their 18th birthday with some newfound wisdom or ability to make good decisions…What they do wake up with, that is especially so crucial for somebody who’s being forced to marry, is all of the rights of adulthood they didn’t have even the day before.”
Support the movement
Child marriage and forced child marriage remains a pressing issue in the United States. To support SB 548, sign our petition advocating for the nationwide ban of child marriage in the US.
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It used to be age 21. Science has found that brains are not fully formed until age 25. How can u be considered a child 1 day and an adult the next? School teaches education but what about practicle, everyday life situations? IE: what to do if your boyfriend or husband beats u? What to look for in a spouse or even a boyfriend.
Practical stuff. Know Your rights, etc. The earlier its taught, the better. If we need to pass an exam to get a drivers license…then shouldn’t there be a test for ppl