I 
112TH CONGRESS 
2D SESSION 
H. R. 6087 
To protect girls in developing countries through the prevention of child 
marriage, and for other purposes. 
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 
JULY 9, 2012 
Ms. MCCOLLUM (for herself and Mr. SCHOCK) introduced the following bill; 
which was referred to the Committee on Foreign Affairs 
A BILL 
To protect girls in developing countries through the 
prevention of child marriage, and for other purposes. 
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa-
tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, 
SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE. 
This Act may be cited as the ‘‘International Pro-
tecting Girls by Preventing Child Marriage Act of 2012’’. 
SEC. 2. FINDINGS. 
Congress makes the following findings: 
(1) Child marriage, also known as ‘‘forced mar-
riage’’ or ‘‘early marriage’’, is a harmful traditional 
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practice that deprives girls of their dignity and 
human rights. 
(2) Child marriage as a traditional practice, as 
well as through coercion or force, is a violation of ar-
ticle 16 of the Universal Declaration of Human 
Rights, which states, ‘‘Marriage shall be entered into 
only with the free and full consent of intending 
spouses’’. 
(3) According to the United Nations Children’s 
Fund (UNICEF), an estimated 60,000,000 girls in 
developing countries now ages 20 through 24 were 
married under the age of 18, and if present trends 
continue more than 100,000,000 more girls in devel-
oping countries will be married as children over the 
next decade, according to the Population Council. 
(4) Between 1⁄2 and 3⁄4 of all girls are married 
before the age of 18 in Niger, Chad, Mali, Ban-
gladesh, Guinea, the Central African Republic, Mo-
zambique, Burkina Faso, and Nepal, according to 
Demographic Health Survey data. 
(5) Factors perpetuating child marriage include 
poverty, a lack of educational or employment oppor-
tunities for girls, parental concerns to ensure sexual 
relations within marriage, the dowry system, and the 
perceived lack of value of girls. 
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(6) Child marriage has negative effects on the 
health of girls, including significantly increased risk 
of maternal death and morbidity, infant mortality 
and morbidity, obstetric fistula, and sexually trans-
mitted diseases, including HIV/AIDS. 
(7) According to the United States Agency for 
International Development (USAID), increasing the 
age at first birth for a woman will increase her 
chances of survival. Currently, pregnancy and child-
birth complications are the leading cause of death 
for women 15 to 19 years old in developing coun-
tries. 
(8) Most countries with high rates of child mar-
riage have a legally established minimum age of 
marriage, yet child marriage persists due to strong 
traditional norms and the failure to enforce existing 
laws. 
(9) Secretary of State Hillary Clinton has stat-
ed that child marriage is ‘‘a clear and unacceptable 
violation of human rights’’, and that ‘‘the Depart-
ment of State categorically denounces all cases of 
child marriage as child abuse’’. 
(10) According to an International Center for 
Research on Women analysis of Demographic and 
Health Survey data, areas or regions in developing 
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countries in which 40 percent or more of girls under 
the age of 18 are married are considered high-preva-
lence areas for child marriage. 
(11) Investments in girls’ schooling, creating 
safe community spaces for girls, and programs for 
skills building for out-of-school girls are all effective 
and demonstrated strategies for preventing child 
marriage and creating a pathway to empower girls 
by addressing conditions of poverty, low status, and 
norms that contribute to child marriage. 
SEC. 3. CHILD MARRIAGE DEFINED. 
In this Act, the term ‘‘child marriage’’ means the 
marriage of a girl or boy, not yet the minimum age for 
marriage stipulated in law in the country in which the girl 
or boy is a resident or, where there is no such law, under 
the age of 18. 
SEC. 4. SENSE OF CONGRESS. 
It is the sense of Congress that— 
(1) child marriage is a violation of human 
rights, and the prevention and elimination of child 
marriage should be a foreign policy goal of the 
United States; 
(2) the practice of child marriage undermines 
United States investments in foreign assistance to 
promote education and skills building for girls, re-
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duce maternal and child mortality, reduce maternal 
illness, halt the transmission of HIV/AIDS, prevent 
gender-based violence, and reduce poverty; and 
(3) expanding educational opportunities for 
girls, economic opportunities for women, and reduc-
ing maternal and child mortality are critical to 
achieving the Millennium Development Goals and 
the global health and development objectives of the 
United States, including efforts to prevent HIV/ 
AIDS. 
SEC. 5. STRATEGY TO PREVENT CHILD MARRIAGE IN DE-
VELOPING COUNTRIES. 
(a) ASSISTANCE AUTHORIZED.— 
(1) IN GENERAL.—The President is authorized 
to provide assistance, including through multilateral, 
nongovernmental, and faith-based organizations, to 
prevent the incidence of child marriage in developing 
countries through the promotion of educational, 
health, economic, social, and legal empowerment of 
girls and women. 
(2) PRIORITY.—In providing assistance author-
ized under paragraph (1), the President shall give 
priority to— 
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(A) areas or regions in developing coun-
tries in which 40 percent or more of girls under 
the age of 18 are married; and 
(B) activities to— 
(i) expand and replicate existing com-
munity-based programs that are successful 
in preventing the incidence of child mar-
riage; 
(ii) establish pilot projects to prevent 
child marriage; and 
(iii) share evaluations of successful 
programs, program designs, experiences, 
and lessons. 
(b) STRATEGY REQUIRED.— 
(1) IN GENERAL.—The President shall establish 
a multi-year strategy to prevent child marriage and 
promote the empowerment of girls at risk of child 
marriage in developing countries, which should ad-
dress the unique needs, vulnerabilities, and potential 
of girls under age 18 in developing countries. 
(2) CONSULTATION.—In establishing the strat-
egy required by paragraph (1), the President shall 
consult with Congress, relevant Federal departments 
and agencies, multilateral organizations, and rep-
resentatives of civil society. 
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(3) ELEMENTS.—The strategy required by 
paragraph (1) shall— 
(A) focus on areas in developing countries 
with high prevalence of child marriage; 
(B) encompass diplomatic initiatives be-
tween the United States and governments of 
developing countries, with attention to human 
rights, legal reforms, and the rule of law; 
(C) encompass programmatic initiatives in 
the areas of education, health, income genera-
tion, changing social norms, human rights, and 
democracy building; and 
(D) be submitted to Congress not later 
than one year after the date of the enactment 
of this Act. 
(c) REPORT.—Not later than three years after the 
date of the enactment of this Act, the President should 
submit to Congress a report that includes— 
(1) a description of the implementation of the 
strategy required by subsection (b); 
(2) examples of best practices or programs to 
prevent child marriage in developing countries that 
could be replicated; and 
(3) an assessment, including data disaggregated 
by age and sex to the extent possible, of current 
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