In partnership with others, including survivor advocates from across the country, I have been campaigning state by state for years to change our own out of date minimum age of marriage laws. The most recent victory in New York was a hard-won battle but I am happy that my home state has finally enacted Naila’s Law and set the minimum age of marriage at 18 without exceptions—only the sixth state in the U.S. to do so. This has made me feel like I can heal.
Author: Naila Amin
Naila Amin is an advocate, survivor, frequent media contributor and the founder of the Naila Amin Foundation. At the age of 8 she found herself engaged to her first cousin and by 15 she was married. Amin now works tirelessly to stop this harmful practice by supporting other survivors and advocating for policy change through her foundation.