Sixteen Days of Activism Against Gender-Based Violence Project 2019
The Zonta Clubs of Troy-South Oakland, Detroit 2, Farmington-Novi, Metro Detroit, and Southfield Area combined their resources to post a “ Zonta SAYS NO to violence against women” message on a digital billboard located on the Northbound I-75 freeway between 13 and 14 mile roads during the week of December 9-15, 2019.
December 4, 2019 – Child Marriage Advocacy Day in Lansing hosted by Zonta District 15
District 15 Zonta members gathered in Lansing to discuss the child marriage issue and to meet with or distribute information to their district representatives about supporting the bill to end child marriage in Michigan.
Facts:
Under Michigan law from 1887, there is no minimum age to marry.
Judges can marry children at any age, as young as 10 years old. Judges are not properly trained to spot domestic violence or human trafficking.
Current legal age to enter a contract is 18 years old. A child bride enters a marriage contract via their parents or a judge but are unable to divorce until the age of 18. A child bride in an abusive relationship can NOT leave the marriage until they are 18 years old.
Bipartisan House Bill 4003-05 was introduced in January 2019 setting the minimum age of marriage at 18 years old. The Bill has to be brought before a judicial hearing before it can be presented to the House for a vote.