Unchained At Last Essay

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In every state in the union, including the District of Columbia, it is legal for children to get married under the age of 18 (Reisse). Despite the US State Department considering marriage before the age of 18 “human rights abuse” half of the United States do not have a minimum age set for which a child can marry (Reisse). Whether a child was forced into marriage or consented willingly evidence shows child marriage can have devastating effects even through their adult life, especially for women (Reisse). Women are the majority of child marriage victims in the United States and their health, education and economic opportunities are put at a significant risk when they marry underage (Reisse). Despite living in a modernized society, over 200,000 …show more content…

Unchained at Last is a non profit organization designed to bring awareness and help women who are attempting to flee abusive marriages. Reiss was forced into a marriage by her family from a very insular religious community when she was just 17 (Reiss). Her husband was an extremely abusive man and in her state she did not have the right to file for divorce since she was a minor. Her husband had become her legal guardian and she became the mother of two children during the course of her marriage to her abuser making leaving the marriage even more difficult (Reiss). Fraidy Reiss was able to make an escape with her children but due to having no education she had extreme difficulty finding a job and her family excommunicated her (Reiss). Fraidy was able to overcome the odds and graduated from Rutgers University with honors at the age of 32. Reiss was lucky as she states that she was able to escape and maintain full custody of her children and recognizes that many women and children desperately want to leave their abusive husbands which is why she created the foundation Unchained at Last as well as the charity Girls Not Brides helping to bring awareness to the effects of child marriage across the world

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