Philippines President Rodrigo Duterte signed a bill banning child marriage last month. Duterte is pictured during a conference in Tokyo, Japan, on May 31, 2019.Philippines President Rodrigo Duterte has signed a bill prohibiting child marriage, while 44 U.S. states still have legal loopholes that allow the practice to continue.
"The State recognizes the role of women in nation-building and shall therefore protect and promote their empowerment," the law states."This entails the abolition of the unequal structures and practices that perpetuate discrimination and inequality." "This is a major victory in our campaign to end child marriage in the Philippines," Bernadette Herrera, deputy speaker of the Philippines House of Representatives,."This law will help protect children, especially young girls, and hopefully change the trajectory of their lives."
What about the US and its lawmakers?