If you appear border, and its where more than 15000 refugees have arrived over the past 3 weeks. All of them saying that theyre escaping shelling that theyve seen people being slaughtered, that theyve left family members behind and came here for their safety and their concerns that they would be more than 200000 refugees in sudan in the next 6 months or 8 are going to be trying to step up so that no refugee is left in need. Hundreds of people have been given life sentences for attempting to topple turkeys government 4 years ago. A defining moment in the rule of president of the hon. Its one of the biggest cases related to the failed coup, with 475 suspects on trial. About 80000 people were arrested after the coup attempt. A drug company astra zeneca is planning to test its potential coronavirus vaccine. Again, days after grabbing headlines over its reported 90 percent success rate, which is now being questioned by scientists. Astra zeneca insists the vaccine its produced with Oxford University was tested properly. Concerns though, were raised after it was revealed that some of the trial injections did not have the right amount. There have been chaotic scenes on the streets of windows irises, argentinians mourn the death of legendary footballer, diego maradona. His body is lying in state of the president ial palace. Some people in the crowds clashed with police when their visit to see the coffin was cut short. Argentina has begun 3 days of national mourning. Thats it for now, the stream is next asking why Child Marriage persists in the us, and ill have more news for you in half an hour. I hope you join me then. Thanks for watching anatomy. Ok . Youre watching the stream today, we are focusing on child light in the United States. I know some, he did a double take like that. It is an issue that because since the United States, despite the us being a rich developed country, the desk that you are about to meet will explain why i know you are going to have a question. So if youre new to, you could jump into the comments section and you can be part of the discussion as well as share your questions. Your thoughts with i guess i was ahead to the guest. The guests were introducing the you have done a great to happy tell everybody who you are. Thank you so much and shine in as Donna Pollard and i am the founder of survivors corner. Thats a nonprofit that i started back in 2018 that seeks to empower and secure survivors of various forms of trauma. Well, bringing an end to cycles of the b. S. And families and clued in cases of child care. And thanks for being with us. Sorry, welcome back to the stream and my doubting its too low. Thank you so much for having me. My name is arent happening in and i publicly advocate here and the United States to end the practice of Child Marriage. I was forced at 15 years old to marry a complete stranger, and now i use my experience to advocate against this practice as very harmful practice that exists here in the us and worldwide. And i max, welcome to the string, tell everybody. Hi, my name is max robinson, the founder and executive director of students against Child Marriage for the 1st union led nonprofit United States. In the we devoted to ending the american Child Marriage. Keep the happy get. Im going to start with a competition, a controversial unicef empty Marriage Campaign that made some people really upset the the so that campaign was campaigning against Child Marriage. And you could see the response online. It doesnt happen to white children. It doesnt happen in the developing will people. Ringback was really, really surprised, so im getting the same response back here on twitter feed for the stream. And we were talking about telling people about this program. And indeed let me just school up here. Shocking, indeed, land of the free, tolerating Child Marriage, a vision that our entire conversation. Why in america, in 2020, will there be children who have been married all this year and will be married next year . And there are age. They cant even vote, but they can get married. Why exactly . And unfortunately the law is in the us, allow Child Marriage to happen legally. Great. Now in 46 states, Child Marriage is legal. We have made progress since 2017, and there have been 2 states have led the charge, pennsylvania and delaware, and followed by pennsylvania and minnesota. So those states are out and marriage under the age of 18. But in all other 46. 00 states, Child Marriage, its legally allowed. And the reason is because these laws are based in all the patriarchal value that no longer apply to our societys norms. And this is a sign, a shame that this is still continuing and 2020 and it has to change. I want to give people an example of what that must be like a documentary series called front. And just a couple years ago, they did a comprehensive report about Child Marriage in the United States and elsewhere around the world. And they could wave a delaware cool, cool. Can bolton . Hes can story. I recall specifically a young girl who was terrified, literally scared to death to go to hardly speak. I was coming into our married, to get a marriage license. She was 14 years old. And she was applying her mother was coming in to sign to give permission for her to be married. And she was there with a male who wish 27 years old. Blind to be the groom and but i watched. Gotcha. Turly required to do was the sense the mother was there to sign in and give the permission. I was supposed to grant them a marriage license to perform the ceremony. As ken was talking, i can see dont are not being so nice. This most resonate with you. I have got a wedding, think of you and you are 60 so in the eyes of those who are terrified little girl, you also know what thats like. Can you share some of those thoughts with us because thats how you became an advocate because us survive with us. The child . Absolutely. I was 16 years old when i was married to a man that was just 18 years earning y. And at the time that we went in occurred, i was shaking and pigeon forge tennessee, which isnt very well known for a spy. There shotgun weddings occur each year. And i remember for the 1st time a after having graeme kirk, few years by this man. I actually met him when i was 14, and i was a patient at a Behavioral Health facility where he worked as a Mental Health technician. And he used his possessions to crave on my vulnerabilities. And the fact that i was growing up and he perpetuated those cycles that well, we were choir for them to get us the marriage license with my mother soon sent the clear to anyone look at that me. She actually asked which one is the minor without even looking out from the computer and noticing help hold in transactional. That was, thats when i really started feeling that fear. And i realized this was going to be a very dangerous situation, and that its the walls for allowing me to get into max. I would be some of the initial thoughts of the coming from out you keep coming to this day. They are surprised to see, tell us this. Im 63 years old and have lived all over the usa and i am not familiar with this. And then i, ne, saying america the most developed country, but still it has to help marriage. You want a whole educational journey to become an advocate. You know what surprised you the most when you started looking into child, now you know, why did you say ok now . Now i have to see if i can help stop it in america. Yes, Child Marriage is a modern human rights abuse happening right here in american backyard. And i 1st learned about this from mary. So i thought mary, some work that i read in the new york times, and i learned just how problematic i learned about the countless stories in donnas that are here every year being forced into abusive marriages. And i learned this exists because people dont know it exists. Child marriage in the United States, the leader of the free world. It happens because the public isnt aware of it and it happens because lawmakers, they dont think that their constituents are aware of this. And its not the result they dont think anythings going to happen to them as elected officials, if they dont act on that. And what that led to has been archaic laws in the legal loopholes which have allowed those transactional type court clerk who would have an advantage which im already, they can happen every year or nothing stopping them by raising awareness to conversations like these where i was on the can answer that i have to share my decision, which i guess you already know this, but im going to just jump into at will. But what is this is the state department in the United States and the big shake and chop wood troubling issue globally. One of them is forced marriage. U. S. Department of state views forced marriage as a human right to d. C. And in the case of minus a foolish child of peace. If you are a u. S. Citizen and a victim of a forced marriage overseas, you got a whole lot of advice about what happens if you scrutinize overseas. Meanwhile, at hime, they have made jack, she yeah, yeah. Let me bring in, let me bring in unicef, because unicef is working on this as, as guests today. And this is how unicef framed the challenge they have with child nights in the u. S. You know, i have called Child Marriage, a helpful practice and a violation of child rights, and believes that marriage under the age of 18 should be prohibited and all circumstances. Yet youre in the United States. Theres actually no federal law around Child Marriage. Rather, each individual state is responsible for setting their own requirements. This is why unicef usa is a member of the National Coalition and Child Marriage working alongside and you dont partners and order to help more people have a whole new polls are exceptions that may promote the practice at the state level. So no woman, if she saw so many of the issues about which is what happens to the survivors. And we would he have stats, we know how young people who are girls mostly who are in Child Marriages. They dont strife you. Website is trying to push back on not slating to surviving is one of the stories that you share, minissha. Im going to show some pictures of you if you babies. This was you when you were married and a little girl and then your baby. So basically a baby having babies. What was the impact on you being mind that young . Yeah. Well, the biggest impact for me was on my education at 15 years old and i had a desire to adopt an air force and then going to last one become a lawyer. Those were my dreams at arsenal. And on the day of my wedding, when i was forced to marry a complete stranger, who had just met that very morning who was 20 years older than he took away all my freedoms. Not just my education because i wasnt allowed to go back to school or at after that point, i gave up ownership over my upper body. I gave up everything. It was simply to be abused by another human being and that just shouldnt be allowed to happen. Here in the states is going to be allowed to have been anywhere. And in fact, i really shocked at some of those comments that i had seen on the twitter feed talking about how this doesnt affect weight people. Well, i dont think thats the issue here. I think the real issue is that there is child abuse happening here and its completely legal. So its shocking to me that you know that people would say that this isnt happening to a people. I dont think its a weight issue. I dont think its a brown issue. I think its a worldwide human rights abuse issue. Absolutely, and if i could just stand then and our gesture aired as well, because if you look at the date and state of kentucky, you know, here in kentucky we are a predominately white state. And since the year, excuse 1002017, there were 10000. 00 cases of Child Marriage that occurred. And there is no typical profile. Its not tied to specific religion and its not tied to a specific race. And the majority of those cases were in a child and a person that once already and legally an adult, the youngest was 30, she was married off to a 3 year old male. And the way that the walls worked in kentucky prior to us receiving the legislative change in 2018. If you were under the age of 60, you cant be married if there was a pregnancy involved, and jad would sign off on that and we hear that we will surely a judge in their right mind, but not authorized parents with a child. But in that case, at that 13 Year Old Girl that was married up to the 33 year old man, she was pregnant, a 16 year old, married off to a 52 year old, who was pregnant. I mean, these are basically archaic walls that often legitimize and legalize pedophile. And thats exactly whats happening. I mean, there is no typical profile where ray ray, i would have to agree with you, donna. And not only that, but in the state of california to legally consent to having sex is 18 years a lot. So the act of Child Marriage creates a lukewarm in our statutory rape laws here in california. And there is a reason that we have statutory rape minors from child and sexual abuse. And so why are we, you know, protecting the abusers when we really should be protecting the children from this horrific, horrific form of abuse. And im sure that you now, you know, in your studies have, have seen the statutory rape law circumvented in many states. Oh, absolutely. Child marriage in the United States is nothing short of a, in a way of legalizing rape its way legalizing abuse. And the way to legalizing human trafficking, and thats are said its legal in 46. 00 states which is just absurd and surprising. And 20 twentieths and some of the laughable. And i also just want to go back to what starr was mentioning before about the loss of education as a survival child survivor. To me a trial marriage. Thats one of the reasons why i think weve been able to see such great momentum and bring students into this fight and to wheeling, degrading our Younger Generation in working to combat Child Marriage. And its because were fighting for our own, you know, when i 1st learned about this issue, i was only 17. The vast majority of Child Marriage survivors were my age. When i learned that a long, very privileged to identify the mounted to not be slated to be a survivor of Child Marriage, i was mobilized. I was, i was energized to fight for my own. And thats why all of the students who ive spoken to about this issue, i no idea that this was happening just as so many of the viewers to day were unaware of this. Thats why upon learning about it, they tell you know, they went off in arms and they joined the fight with such passion and such eagerness to end this abuse. Let me just bring in as a paul hasnt aged them, shimon writes what she kind of frames. What is going on here . Youve already done that beneath the families and the specific about peace being child to be had to look ahead to war. How can you see . What do we do about this . Is he, she has the main reason Child Marriage happens in the u. S. And everywhere else that it happens is gender inequality. Girls are seen as not as valuable as boys or girls. Sexuality is seen as something that has to be feared and controlled, including by forcing girls into marriage. And in terms of when Child Marriage will end in the us, its amazing that activists have gotten 4 states to change their minds. But that leaves 46. 00 left to go, so theres a long fight ahead on this issue and done, and sorry youve been doing this, taking it to the coors, because every state has different rules. So its going to take 50 different legal battles, some of which have already been won through every state to say that Child Marriage should be illegal and you can only married. Its a minor when they get to the age of consent. For example, donna, can i give you this question and this is from they need the you to come, its my passport, pos. What is the handle . What about parental consent . Can there be anything done . And spanish went to parents easy so that you know a lot about the top from kentucky. Thats a very great question. And then you know, i will say that what we often consider, parental consent is most often current or coerce. And as in the case with my own mother, you know, my mother was very abusive growing that she herself had been a child bride married at the age of 32. My father here is older than she was and already had 2 sons, her previous relationship. And you know, this is something that i can trace all the way back to the are 18 quirky every generation on my journal. It had been under age marriage that occurred. And so, you know, when you grow up a new phenomena lies. And then you know, there kase eerie that into the abuse with me because she had suffered trauma herself when she was young and ended up abusing me and was very eager to marry me off when i turned 16, which is how i ended up in the situation that i was on. So you know, parental consent itself has to be looked at in a different way. And i will say that i think at the end of the day, all of us have the same goal to end Child Marriage before the age of 18. And where as there have only been 4 states here in the United States that have actually set that high and bar at the age of 18, i will say that im hopeful by the progress that we have been making and other states to at least increase the minimum age and you know, the state of kentucky as an example, we did a way with parental consent and we require judicial approval raising the age to age 17 per fire engine initial crucial. But with the status clear criteria that the judge would have to assess before authorizing the marriage, such as the curse and that the minor is marrying, could not be greater than cory years older than them. The minor would have to be in the judges chambers talking about how they mess of the judge would have the opportunity to identify a coercive relationship versus, you know, as a server, i mean a bill yet type situation. And again, im not advocating for children to marry at the age of 17, but what i am saying is that in my personal advocacy eyepatch reach the point where i cant let good be the enemy of perfect. And when im uncovering statistics, showing that 13 Year Old Girls are being married off to men in their thirtys. Then that says to me, im willing to at least make some progress and protect those Young Children and do the next best thing and make sure that its, you know, children that maybe are marrying a 17 are also as best as they possibly can be. Before we achieve that priority, call of meat, im going to bring into my conversation and this is caseys research, and im going to get you to listen to cases one side. And then just come right over the back of the hes case hes one thing thats always weight on me as an advocate is the way in which Child Marriage often leads to severe isolation from friends from community. And also often results in a girl being entirely cut off from her education survivors i worked with will share that while eventually they have been able to leave their marriages as adults. And many have achieved a great deal. They wonder often just how much farther along they might be, how much more they might have been able to achieve if they hadnt been married as children. Right, and thats exactly why i think for a bright line of 18 legislation, i just think its so poor and because a new share, what they call the age of majority, you can enter into a lease agreement. For example, you can go to a shelter, you share this in rights as an adult. And fortunately, you know, by setting the bar a little bit lower than that, youre still exposing children to your arms of view and push. And that abuse has already started to occur. Theres not much that you could do at that point. The person has been traumatized. Youre now trapped in a relationship that you cannot afton see a way out. And that is so true for myself. Along with many of the survivors that ive worked with, the truck, why is so severe that you often it is years of their you know, years of working to get back to where you possibly could have been to even be able to actually speak about her when you were younger and so thats why its so important to protect our children under the age of 18, from this horrific form of abuse and from not being able to leave that relationship. So we 2 options are right, and we need you help us with a show about 3 years ago. How institutional situation United States now would use and its going in the right direction. Were fewer and fewer chocolate is right now because the work that youre doing and other advocates are doing you know, i wish i could say that with, you know, 100 percent. You know, clearly the Child Marriages is lowering, but we dont know that thats true. And especially was cowritten names, heene and the lockdown happening across the world is unfortunately exact surveyed in Domestic Violence situations, including child abuse including Child Marriage. And then you have here a actually and their recent report named Child Marriage is one of the 3 abused against women and girls world. So unfortunately, you know that and in the u. S. , while we have 4 states that have banned Child Marriage, i am not sure if that has decreased the number of Child Marriages that are happening. I can only hope that it has. We have seen that it has exacerbated summer and donna and max, thank you very much for talking to us about the work that you are doing to make top notch of course, the United States legal cause of all of the United States who deeply shaped your help today, and i need to coming to us as well. This conversation is going to continue on instagram. Let me show you what were doing all my computer here, child in the United States at 2030, g. M. T. Studying phone wednesday. Well be having this conversation with and sprinkle took about child the impact of it, and also taking that conversation internationally. I know a lot of you, a commenting on child might around the world as well. But for now, thanks for watching us enochs time. Business leaders just want to find a bra spot. For Business Leaders is to buy no bra spot. In a notorious waterside community, like kings and thugs with one pia to direct eventually is to stay to play okami museum to empower the women down the old monsoon. Right . Yes and redefine best status in society. This is that nigerias women wacom was witness on aljazeera. Ready hello, im Barbara Starr in london. These are the top stories on aljazeera ethiopias Prime Minister i b. M. It has ordered a final assault on mecca, laid the capital of key great province after the expiring of a 72 hour ultimatum for local forces to surrender. And says hell open a humanitarian corridor for those who want to flee more than 40000. People have already left for eastern sudan, where aid agencies are struggling to feed, treat, and shelter. Everyone. If im organising one of sudans poorest regions where many ethiopian refugees have a rived with nothing where we are