Sara Tasneem Advocacy

09/03/2026

Ayaan has a message: oppression cloaked in religion or culture deserves the same rejection we'd give any other form of bullying and abuse. There's no rationale, twisted or otherwise, that makes violence against women acceptable. AHA Foundation stands firm on this line, no exceptions. Join us.

Sign-up for our newsletter here: https://www.theahafoundation.org/join-us/

09/03/2026

09/03/2026

A legend has crossed over ✊🏽🫶🏼🙏🏽RIP

Grateful for Gloria Steinem and the many ways she inspired us to see the world through the eyes of others and turn understanding into action.

Her legacy lives on in everyone working toward a more compassionate, just, and equal world, including the communities and partners who make CARE’s work possible.

09/03/2026

Before the new ban passed, California didn't even have a minimum age for marriage — unlike most other states.

09/02/2026

Today marks the beginning of Su***de Prevention Awareness Month, a cause I’m dedicated to uplifting every day of the year.

The most recent CDC data shows that in a single year there were 48,824 su***de-related deaths, and thousands more left grieving their loved ones. I know firsthand the grief of losing a loved one to su***de, and as I continue to carry it with me, I find hope in knowing that su***de is preventable when we choose to ask the hard questions and offer help.
 
This September, honor those we’ve lost by working towards a future where suicidal thoughts aren’t hidden or dismissed, but met with urgency, support, and access to real help. We can prevent su***de when we’re truly open with each other about our mental health, our losses, and our desire to see each other live to see better days.
 
If you or someone you know is struggling, call or text 988 to reach the Su***de & Crisis Lifeline.

***dePreventionAwarenessMonth

09/01/2026

Unchained At Last counted 66,415 US child marriages that happened at an age or age gap that should have been a s*x crime. Roughly 90% became legal the moment a license was issued.

Nearly 315,000 American children were legally married between 2000 and 2021. 86% were girls some as young as 10, most wed to older adult men. California still sets no minimum marriage age. AB 1267 would make it 18. Governor Gavin Newsom please sign it.

What this bill does: It repeals the authorization for anyone under 18 to be issued a marriage license or to establish a domestic partnership.  No parental consent workaround, no judicial bypass.

Thank you Assemblywoman Cottie Petrie-Norris for leading on this issue!

09/01/2026

AB 1267 the bill to end child marriage was heard today and the vote was 8-0! Every member who was there voted in favor of the bill.

There’s just one more vote on the Assembly floor needed and then it should go to Governor Gavin Newsom ‘s desk!

This really needs to happen. Kids need to be kids, not brides or grooms. Let’s protect them finally by raising the marriage age to 18. Hoping and praying! 🙏🏽

Thanks to Unchained At Last and all the fantastic survivor sisters who were there today to support this cause.

09/01/2026

Emilee Hackney was a teenager two-and-a-half weeks away from marrying an aspiring pastor in rural Appalachia when police seized the man’s phone, scrolled through his pictures and arrested him on child-pornography charges.

After that shocking episode, Hackney’s life continued to shift in unforeseen ways. She went from making sandwiches at a Subway shop while attending a local community college to starting over at Harvard University as a transfer student. While there, her life devolved into loneliness and dislocation, and she found herself trading in-person s*x for money beyond the campus confines.

“I look back now and I think, Oh my gosh, I just got away by the skin of my teeth,” said Hackney, 29, author of “All That’s Unseen,” her newly released first book detailing those experiences. The title just debuted at #12 on the New York Times combined print and e-book nonfiction bestseller list.

The memoir is an account of escaping religious extremism and redefining herself apart from the mountains that raised her and the elite society to which she fled. Her life’s work became fusing her past as an eighth-generation Appalachian with her future in a broader world.

Read more: 🔗 https://on.wsj.com/4wWMaRt

08/29/2026

Married at 17 to a man who would later plead guilty to statutory r**e against her, survivor Brandi shares how child marriage loopholes nearly cost her everything—and how she turned her story into advocacy for Missouri's historic child marriage ban. Working alongside lawmakers and organizations like AHA Foundation and Unchained, Brandi helped push for a law with no exceptions, protecting all Missouri children under 18. As she puts it, her voice is strong, her story matters, and she's the one who can best tell it. Read Brandi's full story: https://www.theahafoundation.org/the-cost-of-child-marriage-a-survivors-story-as-missouri-stands-at-a-turning-point/

08/29/2026

To every who has shared their stories, shared their pain, ripped off the bandaid and publicly stood up to change the law publicly or behind the scenes- you were a part of this change. 💪🏽Without our stories- there would be no change. Full stop 🛑

It is because of us and so MANY others who have stepped up, organized, donated time, effort, and voices to create real and lasting legal change!

This is the culmination of so many people coming together to fight for one goal - to END CHILD MARRIAGE