Should the U.S. Encourage the United Nations to Prevent Child Marriages in UN Refugee Camps? (H.R. 2140)

What is H.R. 2140?

(Updated September 8, 2021)

This bill — the Preventing Child Marriage Act — would seek to prevent child marriage in United Nations-administered refugee settlements. To achieve this aim, the president would be required to direct the U.S. Permanent Representative (USPR) to the UN to use America’s voice, vote and influence at the UN to call for the adoption of a definition of “child marriage” and the development of a comprehensive strategy to address child marriage in refugee settlements administered by the UN.

The UN’s strategy would include the following:

• A mandate to regularly collect and report data on the number of known or suspected child marriages taking place inside each UN settlement;
  
• Protocols for UN personnel regarding the prevention and monitoring of child marriages inside each settlement;
  
• A description of programs at each settlement that provide: 1) physical, mental and emotional rehabilitation and support to children who have extricated themselves from child marriage and 2) alternatives to child marriage, such as education initiatives; and
  
• Protocols regarding how UN personnel should 1) report adults participating in illegal child marriages in each UN settlement and 2) monitor such adults’ prosecution by local authorities.

Additionally, the president would direct the USPR to use the United States’ voice, vote and influence to advocate that the UN and its appropriate agencies include in all of their research into child marriage the relationship between child marriage and violence against girls, including young children and infants.

For the purposes of this bill, “child marriage” means a formal marriage or informal union involving at least one person younger than age 18. The term “illegal child marriage” means a formal marriage or informal union involving at least one person under age 18 that’s illegal under the laws of the country the child marriage occurs in.

Argument in favor

Child marriage in UN refugee camps is a growing problem that violates girls’ rights and freedoms. This problem needs to be addressed, and the U.S. should use its outsized role in the UN to help ensure the UN addresses it.

Argument opposed

The UN already has existing programs to address the problem of child marriage. Thus, there’s no need for the U.S. to exert its influence over the organization to encourage it to address child marriage as a problem.

Impact

United States Permanent Representative (USPR) to the United Nations; UN; UN refugee camps; child marriages in UN refugee camps; and UN research on child marriage.

Cost of H.R. 2140

A CBO cost estimate is unavailable.

Additional Info

In-Depth: Rep. Ann Wagner (R-MO) introduced this bill to direct the U.S. to lead UN efforts to define, investigate and prevent child marriage. After this bill passed the House Foreign Affairs Committee, she said:

“I am pleased that my legislation, the Preventing Child Marriage in Displaced Populations Act, passed through committee and is one step closer to becoming law. Child marriage is a violation of human rights and a form of violence against women. This legislation would direct the United States to lead UN efforts to adopt a definition of ‘child marriage’ and craft a comprehensive strategy to address child marriages in UN-administered refugee settlements. Humanitarian crises put women and girls at a much higher risk of violence and exploitation, including child marriage. The United States must be a leader in this issue and fight for girls in unstable, violent situations, when they may not have the resources or ability to protect themselves.”

This bill unanimously passed the House Foreign Affairs Committee with the support of two bipartisan cosponsors, one from each party.

Of Note: Girls Not Brides, a global partnership of over 1,000 civil society organizations committed to ending child marriage, reports that “child marriage has been rising at an alarming rate in humanitarian settings.” According to Girls Not Brides, marrying daughters off often strikes poor families in crisis-stricken areas as a way to protect girls; and in other cases, child marriage can also happen against parents’ wishes in the midst of conflict.

Specific to refugee camps, Girls Not Brides reports that in northern Cameroon and Nigeria, families facing extreme poverty due to internal displacement and living in refugee camps “often marry off their girls because of a lack of other alternatives and the breakdown of social networks.” Additionally, in northern Cameroon, marriage is also used as a way to recover family debts. The organization also reports that child marriage is a growing problem for Syrian girls in refugee communities in Jordan, Lebanon, Iraq and Turkey; for example, in Jordan, the percentage of registered marriages involving a girl under 18 has increased from 12% in 2011 to 18% in 2012, 25% in 2013 and 32% in early 2014. As of 2018, 41% of young displaced Syrian women in Lebanon were married before 18 (and, given that many of these marriages are unregistered, these figures may be higher).

Girls Not Brides reports that child marriage has a range of negative repercussions for girls, including: complications during pregnancy and childbirth, violence, limited education and economic opportunities and little freedom and opportunity to socialize with children their own age. Additionally, the short-term and extralegal nature of many of these marriages leave girls with little legal protection for themselves and their children. In refugee camps, divorced girls are stigmatized, with harmful effects on their mental health.

To combat child marriage, the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) promoties policies, programs and legislation designed to end child marriage and supports evidence-based, girl-centered investments that empower girls with the information, skills and services they need to be healthy, educated and safe as they transition to adulthood. The organization also works to support married girls’ needs, particularly in the areas of family planning and maternal health.

Media:

• Sponsoring Rep. Ann Wagner (R-MO) Press Release
  
• Girls Not Brides Report (Context)
  
• Countable (Context)