Tag: Marriage

Find articles here related to marriage law, including marriage equality, gendered roles in marriages, domestic violence, parenting and more.

In the U.S., Marriage Functions More Like a Privilege—Not an Equal Basic Right

An excerpt from Allison Raskin’s new book, I Do (I Think): Conversations About Marriage.

“This elevation of marriage is a problem for multiple reasons, because as we know well by this point in the chapter, not everyone has the same level of access to it—legally or financially. The fight for true marriage equality didn’t end with the federal legalization of same-sex marriage, and it is impossible to ignore the classist, ableist and patriarchal forces at play when it comes to who can get married easily and what those marriages end up looking like. “

Ending Child Marriage—For Good: The Ms. Q&A With Clay Dunn, CEO at VOW for Girls

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Oct. 11 is International Day of the Girl, an annual celebration that promotes advocacy for the rights, education and empowerment of girls across the globe. This year’s theme is “Girls’ Vision for the Future.” Child marriage, a practice that robs millions of girls of their childhoods, opportunities and dreams, prevents girls from realizing their own vision for the future. Each year, an estimated 12 million girls are married before the age of 18, perpetuating cycles of poverty and inequality. 

We got the chance to speak with Clay Dunn, CEO of VOW for Girls, an organization that partners with brands, individuals, and the wedding industry to raise money for local partners working to end child marriage in their community.

How Can We End Child Marriage? Don’t Give Underage Girls Spousal Visas.

The Child Marriage Prevention Act is intended to combat child marriage—but some provisions in the bill actually would contradict, undermine and obstruct the national and global commitment to end child marriage by the end of the decade.

Sen. Durbin must withdraw or amend the Child Marriage Prevention Act. Girls in the U.S. and across the globe are relying on us to keep our promise to end all marriage before age 18, no exceptions.

Women, Your Vote Is a Secret, Says New Guerrilla Post-It Campaign

In a world where the political gender gap is growing as women move left, a clever grassroots campaign is reminding women of a fundamental truth: Their vote is private. This guerrilla movement uses a simple yet powerful tool—Post-It notes—to reach women whose partners may disagree with their political choices.

The premise is simple: small, brightly colored notes discreetly placed in public spaces, like bathroom stalls, libraries, cafes, dorm buildings, workplace lounges, doctors’ offices and community boards. Each note carries the message that every woman has the right to cast her vote freely and privately.

Misogynist Manifesto: Project 2025 Says Yes to ‘Biblically Based Marriages’ and No to Reproductive Rights

Part one of a three-part series about the 900-plus-page right-wing “misogynistic manifesto”:

Project 2025 promotes traditional heterosexual marriage, stigmatizing single parenthood and same-sex spouses, and cutting programs to support single mothers and their children.

(This article originally appears in the Fall 2024 issue of Ms. Join the Ms. community today and you’ll get issues delivered straight to your mailbox!)

If Conservatives Want Stronger Marriages, They Should Look to Liberal Solutions

Conservative politicians are complaining about childless cat ladies, declining marriage rates, unstable families and single-parent households. Their strategy so far has been to ban abortion, offer families no real support, do nothing to help struggling Americans find greater financial stability, promote a deeply misogynistic worldview to young men, and then yell at young women that they need to get married and have babies. Shockingly, this is not working very well.

On the other side, liberals have de-emphasized marriage and the nuclear family as the primary organizing unit for society, while offering women and men alike more choices about when, how, and if to start families, and more support if they do. And while marriage and childbearing rates are down generally, the prototypical Democratic voter—the college-educated woman working for pay in or near a large city in a blue state—is more likely to find herself in a happy, stable marriage than the prototypical Republican voter.

This isn’t a coincidence.

The Case for Making Government Work for Single Cat Ladies

Nearly 20 years ago, social scientists Bella DePaulo and Wendy Morris described the prejudice, stereotyping and discrimination toward singles. Since their article, the number of single households has only been growing.

Single people serve their communities, have meaningful careers, benefit their families as aunts and uncles and are active participants in their faith communities. Do not use us to get attention on the news, and do not forget about us when you make policy.