OLYMPIA — People dressed in bridal gowns and veils gathered inside the Capitol on Thursday, not to get married, but to protest against child marriage in Washington state. Almost 20 protesters were seen with chained arms and taped mouths, calling on the Senate to pass House Bill 1455, which would set a minimum marriage age of 18.
On Jan. 8, the first day of the legislative session, the House unanimously passed HB 1455, and now awaits action in the Senate. There have been previous attempts to end child marriage, but this measure was first introduced last year by Rep. Monica Stonier, D-Vancouver, when it passed the House, but eventually stalled in the Senate.
Since 2000, more than 5,000 minors have been married in Washington state, according to an analysis by Unchained At Last, the group that organized Thursday’s protest, and 11 research partners. At 17, a child can get married with parental consent; any younger than that requires approval from a judge. Current loopholes in the law prevent these children from divorcing until they are 18, according to advocates.
Joined by other survivors and advocates, Sara Tasneem said she was forced to marry at age 15.
“Not only were all my reproductive rights taken from me on the day of my wedding, but so was my education and my opportunities to live a life of freedom,” said Tasneem, now 43. “I had no autonomy, I had no ability or control over my life.”
Last session, Tasneem testified to lawmakers that her father forced her to marry a man in his late 20s in a spiritual ceremony, before she was taken to another country and raped. When they returned to the U.S., they married legally; at the time, she was 16 and six months pregnant with the man’s child.
In Washington, 18-year-olds have access to support systems that may be inaccessible to minors. For example, domestic violence shelters may turn away minors.
“If I would have run away, the police would have returned me to my abuser,” Tasneem said in a news release. “As a minor, there’s just no option to leaving a very abusive marriage.”
Kate Yang said she was forced to marry at only 12 years old. She recalls being mentally, sexually and physically abused on a daily basis by her husband.
“As a child marriage survivor, I’m here today to let the American people know that child marriage does exist in America,” said Yang, who was 15 when she had her first of two sons. “Child marriage does exist in Washington state.”
According to a 2020 study by the International Center for Research on Women, 90% of women in child marriages experience physical, sexual or emotional abuse by their husband during their marriage.
“The abuse was so bad that the thought of ending my life felt like it could be freedom,” said Yang, 38. “I knew that either I had to escape, or he was going to kill me.”
Unchained At Last, a national organization, has been worked toward ending child and forced marriages in Washington state for three years. At the protest, members were joined by women’s rights advocacy groups Zonta International and the AHA Foundation.
“We cannot allow this human rights abuse to continue,” said Fraidy Reiss, founder and executive director of Unchained At Last. “What better way to urge legislators to take action than to show them what life looks like for those who are forced into marriage?”
Washington is one of 43 states that allow children to get married. It also doesn’t specify a minimum age for marriage, according to Unchained At Last. A 2016 analysis by the Pew Research Centers estimates that 4.3 per 1,000 children in Washington state ages 15 to 17 were married, falling slightly below the national average of 4.6.
More than 80% of these marriages end up in divorce, according to national statistics by the International Center for Research on Women.
The trauma these girls face end up creating ripple effects that continue on to their adult lives, said Su Trina Martindale, a member of the Zonta International chapter in Everett.
Tasneem ended up raising two sons, both adults now. She works in local government, while also devoting time to child advocacy.
“So I really have dedicated my life to the public because I think it’s so important that our laws and our systems are working with people,” Tasneem said.
