Sara Tasneem Advocacy

10/19/2026

In observance of the International Day for the Elimination of Child, Early and Forced Marriage, Zonta International invites you to a virtual event bringing together government, civil society and international advocates to discuss the global state of child marriage and the actions needed to end it.

📅 27 November 2026

🔗 Register here: https://us06web.zoom.us/meeting/register/jynDGaN0Ssi5nRm92yX7Yg

10/18/2026

10/17/2026

10/17/2026

California has passed a law banning marriage before age 18 without exceptions. The ban takes effect Jan. 1, 2027. Thirty-two states have not enacted a complete ban.

In Kansas, a judge can approve marriage at 15 after investigating and determining it is in the teenager’s best interest. Illinois allows 16- and 17-year-olds to marry with parental consent. Mississippi allows girls to marry at 15 and boys at 17 with parental consent, and a judge can waive those ages under specified conditions.

Donna Simmons married at 16. She says she couldn’t lease an apartment in her own name and was turned away from a domestic violence shelter because she was a minor, making it difficult to leave her abusive husband.

This year, she started a petition asking lawmakers to set the minimum marriage age at 18 nationwide, without exceptions.

Petition link: https://c.org/Q6KNQHgS

Photo credit: Unchained At Last

10/14/2026

10/13/2026

10/11/2026

10/11/2026

On International Day of the Girl Child, we're highlighting Bee's story and why our 2026 message is clear:

End child marriage. Invest in girls' rights.

At 17, Bee was forced into marriage. Years later, she is using her voice to advocate for laws that protect children and prevent others from experiencing the same harm.

https://bees-story.theahafoundation.org/

Every girl deserves the opportunity to learn, grow, and decide her own future.

10/11/2026

Every girl deserves a childhood.
Not a marriage.
On this International Day of the Girl, Nicholas Kristof shines a much-needed spotlight on the fight to end child marriage in America.
The timing couldn't be more powerful.
Read his latest piece in The New York Times and join the fight to end child marriage:
https://www.nytimes.com/2026/10/10/opinion/child-marriage-legal-us.html
18. NO EXCEPTIONS. EVERY STATE.