Ohio Bill Could End Child Marriage for Good

Ohio could soon join 17 other states in banning child marriage completely, thanks in part to advocates like Stephanie Lowry who survived the practice and rebuilt her life.

Senate Bill 341 would raise Ohio's minimum marriage age to 18 with no exceptions. The bipartisan legislation passed committee in June with zero opposition and could reach a Senate floor vote this fall.

Lowry, now a Summit County advocate, married at 16 in 2001 after becoming pregnant. Ohio law at the time allowed marriages for minors as young as they wanted with parental consent and a psychologist's letter.

"Your brain isn't developed to understand all the adults that were supposed to protect you can sometimes fail you," Lowry said about her experience.

The marriage became abusive, but as a minor, Lowry faced impossible barriers. She couldn't legally file for divorce, couldn't return to her mother's home, and couldn't access domestic violence shelters without being separated from her baby.

A month after turning 18, she successfully left the marriage and filed for protection. She later remarried and has spent years healing.

Why This Inspires

Lowry transformed her painful past into powerful advocacy. She now shares her story publicly to help close the legal loopholes that failed to protect her and thousands of other Ohio children.

Nationwide, nearly 315,000 minors were legally married between 2000 and 2021. Advocates say child marriage can enable statutory rape, abuse, and trafficking by making these acts legal through marriage.

Ohio currently allows 17-year-olds to marry, but only to partners no older than 21. Lowry says that standard still isn't enough.

The bill's sponsors, state Senators Bill DeMora and Louis Blessing, represent both parties and face no organized opposition. If it doesn't pass by year's end, supporters will need to reintroduce it in the next session.

Lowry's son is now 24, and she's been happily remarried for eight years with a blended family. Her healing journey brought her to advocacy without shame.