The city of Laguna Beach passed a resolution Aug. 10 calling for the California State Legislature to introduce and pass a ban on child marriage. Mayor Bob Whalen said the issue was brought to his attention by Rima Nashashibi, founder of Global Hope 365, an organization that has worked for years to end child marriage across the state, due to its harmful effects seen on many women. Data shows that child marriages can result in a host of human rights abuses. Between 2000 and 2015, more than 200,000 minors were married in the U.S., consisting mostly of minor girls married to adult men. The marriages often result in early pregnancies, intimate partner violence, and very high rates of divorce—at around 70-80 percent, according to Laguna Beach city council documents. Additionally, the marriage can often have adverse reactions on the child’s health, education, and employment opportunities. The marriages also often are …