Jada was 12 years old and living in New Jersey when her father sent her to Saudi Arabia to be married. With the U.S. government unable to intervene, her astonished family at home took up the challenge of bringing her back. Jada is not alone in her experience, and not everyone has the same happy outcome. Special correspondent Gayle Tzemach Lemmon reports.
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Although the world recognises the danger of marrying girls under 18, it is strangely still permitted in the United States. The Massachusetts Senate unanimously passed a bill banning child marriage, which had previously been allowed.
Local law in most US states allows the marriage of children under 18 with parental consent and judicial approval. The Massachusetts Senate unanimously passed a bill banning child marriage in the state.
The Senate of the US state of Massachusetts voted unanimously in favour of a bill banning child marriage, which had previously been allowed. Rights advocates, UNICEF volunteers and supporters of a children's rights association attended the vote.
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