November 12, 2019 3:20 a.m.
As part of its Centennial Celebration and continuing efforts to empower women, the local Zonta Club has an “End Child Marriage Display” at the Roseburg Public Library.
A release from Zonta said the issue is not just a problem in other countries, it also occurs in the United States, where 25 states do not have a minimum age for marriage. Only one state prohibits marriage until age 18. Alaska has had girls as young as age 12 marry, while Idaho and Washington has had marriages at age 13. The release said of girls under age 18 that marry, up to 84% have been forced to marry adult men. Idaho leads the nation in child marriages. North America has the same child marriage rate as the Middle East, according to Zonta.
To stop child marriages globally, Zonta has partnered with the United Nations Population Fund and the U. N.’s Children’s Fund. The program started with 12 countries in Africa and the India-Bangladesh area. In 2018, over 3 million girls and 14 million community members were reached with services and education to help end child marriage.
The display can be viewed through November 26^th. For more information go to www.zontaroseburg.org or check Zonta Roseburg on Facebook.