Protection for children shouldn’t have exceptions
From Krysta Bisnauth, Freedom United
In 48 hours, Australia will mark International Women’s Day. There will be speeches about equality and protecting the next generation of women.
Meanwhile, “exceptional circumstances” allow Australian lawmakers to look the other way while children are pressured into marriage.
Under current law, a 16-year-old can be married with court approval. She can’t vote. She can’t sign most contracts. She can’t legally live on her own—but she can be locked into a marriage.
It is a gap in Australian law that leaves the most vulnerable girls with no voice and no exit.
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If that marriage turns abusive, there is no quick escape. Australian law requires 12 months of separation before filing for divorce. Where does a 16-year-old go for a year if her marriage was arranged by the very family she would normally turn to for help?
That’s why we’re partnering with Anti-Slavery Australia and calling on the government to raise the marriage age to 18—with no exceptions and no excuses.
If a government celebrates women’s rights while maintaining a loophole that puts girls at risk, something doesn’t add up.
Help keep children safe
Forced marriage is already a serious issue in Australia. Last year, the number of reports of forced marriage in Australia increased by 30%[1] compared to the previous year.
According to the police, for the past several years, it’s the most frequently reported form of modern slavery they receive, and children make up a significant share of reported cases.[2]
Most involve young people taken overseas—which Australia rightly refuses to recognize. But whether it happens here or abroad, it is girls like her who are pressured, isolated, and told they have no real choice.
Australia’s strong stance on overseas underage marriage makes the remaining exception at home harder to justify.
The UN Committee on the Rights of the Child is urging Australia to close this loophole. Advocates have been pushing for this change for years.
Public pressure can help finish the job.
Join the movement
| Your name makes a difference to her. Call on the Australian government to set 18 as the minimum marriage age—no exceptions. With International Women’s Day approaching, there’s no better moment to close this loophole. Join us in calling for change. |
| In solidarity,Krysta and the team that supports the Freedom United community |
| Krysta Bisnauth Advocacy Manager, Freedom United |
[1] https://www.freedomunited.org/news/schools-help-stop-child-marriage/
