Whatever happened to the U.S. campaign to ban child marriage?

A growing international movement to eradicate child marriage is gaining fresh momentum as the United Nations announces a dedicated “Day to End Child Marriage,” aimed at spotlighting the issue and rallying global action. In Washington, lawmakers are debating a contentious new bill that would tighten age‑of‑consent protections and increase penalties for those who facilitate under‑age unions, sparking fierce debate over federal versus state jurisdiction and potential unintended consequences. Advocates hail the U.N. designation and the U.S. proposal as critical steps toward ending a practice that affects millions of girls worldwide, while critics warn that the legislation may overreach or lack sufficient safeguards for cultural nuance. Together, the global observance and the U.S. legislative push underscore a renewed urgency to confront a deeply entrenched human‑rights violation.

The global effort to end child marriage is in the news. In the U.S., there's a new bill before Congress (but it's controversial). And the U.N. is designating a day dedicated to ending the practice.