Testimonies of Child Marriage Survivors
Stephanie Lowry's Testimony in Ohio
Brigitte Combs' Story Including Her Testimony in Virginia
Brigitte Combs' Interview with Tahirih Justice Center
Sara Tasneem's Interview
Vilas Wright's Testimony in Washington, DC
Vilas Wright's Interview with Soft White Underbelly
Brigitte Combs is a child-marriage survivor and advocate for ending marriage before age 18, without exceptions. At 15, seven months pregnant, she married a 38-year-old man in Texas with her parents’ “permission.” By 17, she was raising two children and had to wait until she turned 18 to leave the marriage.
In 2024, Brigitte testified before Virginia lawmakers for the first time, urging them to set 18 as the minimum marriage age. She explained why parental consent, emancipation and other judicial safeguards may fail to protect vulnerable minors. On April 8, 2024, Virginia’s HB 994 became law, making it the 12th state—and the first in the South—to ban child marriage entirely.
Brigitte continues working with advocates, lawmakers and fellow survivors to end child marriage in Washington, D.C., and other states. In 2026, she actively supported Oklahoma’s SB 504, which passed without the governor’s signature, making Oklahoma the 17th state to fully ban child marriage. The law takes effect in November 2026.
Sara Tasneem is a child-marriage survivor. She was married and abused at a young age.
She is a fierce advocate for ending marriage before age 18 in the USA.
Brigitte Combs
Sara Tasneem
Vilas Wright
Vilas Wright is a child-marriage survivor and an advocate for ending marriage before age 18 without exceptions.
Her powerful testimony in Washington, DC, was crucial for the lawmakers to enact a minimum age for marriage in the District of Columbia as 18 without any exceptions.
Watch her life story as she narrates it for Soft White Underbelly, a channel on YouTube that interviews and portraits human conditions.
Stephanie Lowry
Stephanie Lowry is a child-marriage survivor and advocate for ending marriage before age 18 in the State of Ohio, USA.
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