I was honoured to be nominated for the House magazine’s Women in Westminster awards this week, for my work on ending child marriage in this country.
The Women in Westminster is a list of 100 women who have been influential in public life and politics this year.
The Marriage and Civil Partnership (Minimum Age) Act 2022, which I proposed and which Parliament passed unanimously, is one of the most comprehensive laws against child marriage anywhere in the world. It protects children from both registered and unregistered marriages under the age of 18, and importantly also protects girls from being taken abroad under the age of 18 for the purpose of marriage.
On International Women’s Day, it is important for me to acknowledge that the more than five years’ work which I have put in on this legislation will protect all women and girls from the threat of child marriage, which we know has hugely detrimental impacts like having to leave education, poorer life chances, and coercive control, domestic violence and sexual abuse.
I have worked alongside a team of inspirational women to deliver this change – the campaigners at Girls not Brides UK who have relentlessly advocated for a change in this law.
Thank you to all those who supported me and nominated me for this award, which I dedicate to those I worked with and the brave victims of child marriage who have come forward to share their stories and persuade MPs across the political spectrum of the need for change.
You can see the full list and read more here.