On February 14, the Senate Foreign Relations Committee approved, by voice vote, the International Protecting Girls by Preventing Child Marriage Act of 2011 (S. 414).
The act, sponsored by Sen. Richard Durbin (D-IL), explicitly would define the term “child marriage” as “the marriage of a girl or boy, not yet the minimum age for marriage stipulated in law in the country in which the girl or boy is a resident or, where there is no such law, under the age of 18.”
This legislation expresses the sense of Congress that “the practice of child marriage undermines United States investments in foreign assistance to promote education and skills building for girls, reduce maternal and child mortality, reduce maternal illness, halt the transmission of HIV/AIDS, prevent gender-based violence, and reduce poverty.” As a result, the president would be required to establish a multi-year strategy to prevent child marriage and promote the empowerment of girls at risk. The strategy would focus on areas in certain developing countries that have a high prevalence of child marriage and would involve the governments of these countries.
The president’s program would include initiatives in the areas of education, health, income generation, changing social norms, human rights, and democracy building. The measure requires the president to submit to Congress the proposed strategy no later than one year after enactment.
The president also would be authorized to provide assistance to support community-based activities that increase education of girls, parents, community leaders, and religious leaders about the health risks of child marriage. Assistance also would be provided for activities that ensure girls have access to health care, clean water, suitable hygiene facilities, education, and economic opportunities. Support would be given for “local advocacy work to provide legal literacy programs at the community level to ensure that governments and law enforcement officials are meeting their obligations to prevent child and forced marriage.”
Within three years of the enactment of this legislation, the president would be required to submit a report to Congress that describes the implementation of the proposed strategy and includes an assessment of current United States funded efforts to specifically prevent child marriage in developing countries.
The bill also would amend the Foreign Assistance Act (P.L. 87-195) by requiring Department of State human rights reports to include a description of the status of the practice of child marriage for each country in which child marriage is prevalent.
