Her mission: end child marriage

"The pain you go through is part of what makes you who you are." 08/31/18 The United States faces many crises, but in communities across the nation, women are taking a stand. Inspired by the spirit of Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg, Great Big Story presents DEFENDERS: a new documentary series about five women taking action and helping others in remarkable ways. Child marriage is legal in 48 of 50 states in the U.S., and more than a dozen states have no official minimum age limit to get married. But there's an advocate determined to change this—and she's meeting legislators one-by-one to share her story. State by State, Crusading to End Child Marriage Child marriage is legal in 48 of the 50 states in the U.S., and more than a dozen states have no official minimum age limit to get married. Due to specific legal loopholes, girls and women across the country are being coerced, pressured, threatened and physically forced into marriages against their will, with little to no recourse. Fraidy Reiss was one of those women. Today, she runs the first and only non-profit aimed at helping women in the U.S. resist or escape forced marriages. Watch the complete Defenders series now on our website, and don't miss the television premiere of CNN Films' documentary "RBG" on Monday, September 3 at 9 p.m. and 12 a.m. EST/ 6 p.m. and 9 p.m. PST. In Case You Missed It . . . In Utah, Hope and Healing After Escaping a Cult Briell Decker was chosen to become FLDS Prophet Warren Jeffs' 65th wife when she was just 18 years old. Then, she miraculously escaped. Now, she's helping her fellow survivors embrace their freedom. And she's doing it in Jeffs' own house. In Chicago, a Home Away From Violence Diane Latiker thinks a 12-year-old kid should be worried about his grades—not about getting shot on his walk home from school. What's mundane in other parts of town can be deadly in Roseland, Diane's South Side Chicago neighborhood. The city's epidemic of gang and gun violence—most of its victims young, Black and male—makes national news and campaign talking points. But Diane Latiker isn't here for talk. She's interested in listening. Copyright © 2018 Great Big Story, LLC, All rights reserved.You are receiving this message because you subscribed to the Great Big Story newsletter. Want to change how you receive these emails? You can update your preferences or unsubscribe from this list