TV station WUSA 9 interviewed Jeanne Smoot, Senior Counsel for Policy and Strategy at the Tahirih Justice Center, for this investigative story on child marriage in Maryland and efforts to raise Maryland’s minimum marriage age.
“Early marriage is harmful for girls,” Smoot said. “It results in high divorce rates, high dropout rates from school, medical and mental health problems, greater vulnerability to domestic violence, and long-term poverty.”
I came to the U.S. in the winter of 2006. Life back home in Mexico was tough for me and my family. I dreamt of going to college and graduating but with my family’s economic status, that dream was too costly and impossible.
At least I was able to graduate high school and that is something I am proud of since I was also working at the time to help my family. I was always looking for an opportunity to have a better life as a young woman.
“I hope my story is helpful to someone else…and can inspire many women to be stronger. We need to help young women identify toxic relationships, so that there are fewer Camilas that go through such difficult things, let alone have our children suffer.”
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