Coalition Members
The U.S. State Department has called marriage before 18 a “human rights abuse.”
Children can easily be forced into marriage or forced to stay in a marriage before they turn 18 and become legal adults. In many U.S. states, even at age 17, minors cannot independently leave home, enter a domestic violence shelter, retain an attorney (because contracts with children typically are voidable) to bring a legal action such as a divorce.
Survivor Advocates
Genevieve Meyer
Co-Founder, Resiliency Foundation
Elizabeth Sitton
Sara Tasneem
Sara Tasneem Advocacy
Dawn Tyree
Progressive Democrats of America
South County Labor
UltraViolet
Unchained at Last
United Nations Association - Orange County
UNICEF USA
Women Drivers
Women For: Orange County
Elected Officials
Mari Barke
President, Orange County Department of Education, 2nd District
Leandra Blades
Trustee, Placentia Yorba Linda Unified School District
Steve Blount
Trustee, North Orange County Community College District
Diana Carey
Trustee, Huntington Beach Union High School District
Kim Carr
Councilmember, City of Huntington Beach
Mike Carroll
Vice Mayor, City of Irvine
Bonnie Castrey
Trustee, Huntington Beach Union High School District
Doug Chaffee
Orange County Supervisor, 4th District
Gina Clayton-Tarvin
President, Board of Trustees, Ocean View School District
Sergio Contreras
Councilmember, City of Westminster
Allyson Damikolas
Trustee Area 1, Tustin Unified School District
Vera Robles DeWitt
President, Board of Directors, Water Replenishment District of Southern CA
Diane Dixon
Council Member, City of Newport Beach
Rose Espinoza
Councilmember, City of La Habra
Melissa Fox
Councilmember, City of Irvine
Peggy Huang
Deputy Attorney General, Department of Justice, State of California and Mayor, City of Yorba Linda
Al Jabbar
Trustee, Anaheim Union High School District Board of Trustees
Farrah Khan
Councilmember, City of Irvine
Tammy Kim
Vice Mayor, City of Irvine
Anthony Kuo
Councilmember, City of Irvine
Daniel Lee
Vice Mayor, City of Culver City
Ed Lopez
Trustee, North Orange County Community College District
Jim Moreno
Trustee, Coast Community College District
Dr. Jose Moreno
Councilmember, City of Anaheim
Greg Raths
Councilmember, City of Mission Viejo
Arlis Reynolds
Councilmember, City of Costa Mesa
Elizabeth Soto
Delegate, Elected Rep to Supervisory Dist 4 - Ventura County, President Moorpark Democratic Club, Controller CFT
Lisa Sparks, Ph.D.
Trustee, Orange County Department of Education, 5th District
Dr. Ken Williams
Trustee, Orange County Department of Education, 3rd District
Ahmad Zahra
Councilmember, City of Fullerton
Community Leaders
Danett Abbott-Wicker
Field Organizer, Progressive Democrats of America
Nesha Abiraj
International Human Rights Lawyer, UNICEF USA UNITE
Henagameh Abraham
Vice Chairwoman, Greater Costa Mesa Republicans
Max Abrams
Trustee, OC Rotary Digital Foundation
Jennifer Beck
Alternate to DPOC Central Committee, Assembly District 73
Wendy Braun
Community Advocate, Campus Supervisor at CUSD
Ada Briceno
Co-President, UNITE HERE Local 11
Tyler Cash
Policy Advisor, Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors.
Ray Cordova
President, South County Labor
C. J. "Chuck" Cota
E-Rotary Global Kalinga #3750 President 2014-2015
Mark Richard Daniels
Commissioner, Culture & Heritage Commission, City of Anaheim, District 1
Hung Do
Food and Drug Administration, Safety Officer
Yvonne Gonzalez Duncan
CA State Director, League of United Latin American Citizens (LULAC)
David Duran
People's Homeless Task Force OC - Secretary, CCO & Housing is a Human Right OC - Co-Founder
Dr. Amer El-Ahraf
Emeritus Full Professor of Health Sciences, California State University, Dominguez Hills
Ramsey Elsayed
Assistant Professor of Research, University of Southern California
Amer Eltai
UNA-USA
Sudi Farokhnia
Co-Founder, Treasurer, Iranian Circle of Women's Intercultural Network (ICWIN)
Tamara Farrar
Tamara Farrar, Family Law Attorney, Global Hope 365 Board Member
Eleanor Kennelly Gaetan, PhD
Director of Public Policy, National Center on Sexual Exploitation
Alexandra Grossi
UNICEF UNITE Los Angeles, Advocacy Council Lead
Dr. Bill Honigman
State Coordinator, Progressive Democrats of America
Davinder Kaur
Forced Marriage Survivor
Jose Lara
Assistant Principal, Anaheim Union High School District
Dot Leach
Founder of Women Drivers Interfaith Group
Greg Lefever
Owner / CEO, IMpowered Womens Fitness / Empowered Youth Life Style
Susan Leyster
Core member Thurston County Coalition Against Trafficking
Damien Lorton
Artistic Director, One More Productions
Debbie Martis
CEO, Rebirth Homes
Michael Matsuda
Superintendent, Anaheim Union High School District
Alan Minsky
Executive Director, Progressive Democrats of America
Laura Oatman
District Director, Office of U.S. House of Representative Harley Rouda
Dr. Luis Ortiz-Franco
Los Amigos of Orange County
John Park
Finance Commissionor, City of Irvine
Cole Patterson
State Data Director for California, Republican National Committee
Stacey Robbins
Author, Health & Lifestyle Coach - Specializing in Hashimoto’s
Max Robins
Founder & Executive Director, Students Against Child Marriage
LaShe Rodriguez
Chief of Staff, Supervisor Doug Chaffee, District 4
Oscar Rodriguez
Community Representative, Oak View ComUNIDAD
Corey Rood MD
Medical Director of Child Abuse Pediatrics, University of California Irvine
Ryan Sasse
UNICEF USA, Assistant Director, Advocacy & Engagement
Lynn Shaw
Founder and Executive Director, Lynn's Warriors/New York
Ron Siegal
Radio Host, Ron Siegal Radio
Courtney Smith
Mental Health Board Commissioner, Orange County Supervisor Don Wagner, District 3
Susan Sonne
Executive Director, Buena Park Collaborative
Patrice Springer
Organizer, Elder Abuse Advocacy South Bay
Hank Springer
Union Liaison, Playa Vista Jobs
Andy Thorburn
Candidate, Orange County Board of Education
Larry Tyree
Melissa Vera
Owner, Adventures of Frugal Mom
Jannelle Welker
Policy Advisor/Communications Director, The Office of Supervisor Doug Chaffee, 4th District, Orange County Board of Supervisors
Janet Woods, Msc.d
President of the Rotary Club of OC Digital, Rotary District 5320
Benjamin Yu
Traffic Commissioner, City of Lake Forest
Kristen Zaleski
Clinical Associate Professor/ Director of Forensic Mental Health at the Keck Human Rights Clinic, University of Southern California Suzanne Dworak-Peck School of Social Work