End Child Marriage

On October 21, Vilas appeared before the D.C. Council and offered survivor testimony in support of ending child marriage in the District. Speaking those words into the record felt like placing another stone in the path toward change. Less than two months later, on December 17, 2024, the D.C. City Council voted unanimously to pass the bill—repairing the loophole in the law and protecting countless young people from the harm she once knew all too well.

On October 11, 2024, the AHA Foundation published an article amplifying Vilas's story as part of their urgent campaign to end child marriage. For her, it was more than sharing the past—it was reclaiming it, turning what had once been a source of silence and pain into a tool for change. By speaking out, Vilas wanted to make the reality impossible to ignore and force the conversation into the open where action can happen.

Featured on The Hare Krishna Project podcast on November 14th, 2024, sharing Vilas's story and the consequences of growing up in a high-control religious environment. Through survivor testimony, they work to educate communities about the lasting impacts of child marriage and religious abuse, while empowering other survivors to find their voice and seek justice.

The Tahirih Justice Center is a national, nonprofit organization that serves women, girls, and all immigrant survivors of gender-based violence. They are one of the many organizations at the forefront of the mission to end child marriage in the United States, providing critical legal services and advocacy for vulnerable populations.

Unchained leads the growing national movement to end child marriage. Through relentless advocacy, they've helped ban child marriage in Delaware, New Jersey (2018), Pennsylvania, Minnesota (2020), Rhode Island, New York (2021), Massachusetts (2022), Vermont, Connecticut, Michigan (2023), Washington, Virginia, New Hampshire (2024), and Washington D.C., Maine, Oregon, Missouri (2025).

Working with the National Coalition to End Child Marriage and other organizations to bring together advocates, survivors, and allies determined to end child marriage in the U.S. Through collaborative efforts, we amplify survivor voices, share resources, and coordinate legislative advocacy to protect children nationwide from this harmful practice.