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Orozco, Norma
<br /> From: Rima Nashashibi <rima@globalhope365.org>
<br /> Sent: Monday, May 02, 2022 8:37 AM
<br /> To: !City Clerk
<br /> Cc: Sarmiento, Vicente; pbecerra@santa-ana.org; Phan, Thai; Penaloza, David; Lopez,
<br /> Jessie; Hernandez, Johnathan; Mendoza, Nelida
<br /> Subject: Resolution #29 on Consent Calendar, calling upon our California Legislators to
<br /> introduce and pass a bill that would end child marriage in California and I urge you to
<br /> go one step further
<br /> Dear City Clerk, Mayor Sarmiento, Mayor Pro Tern Bacerra, Councilmembers Mendoza, Hernandez,
<br /> Lopez, Penaloza, and Phan:
<br /> I am the founder and president of Global Hope 365, a 501 c3 nonprofit in Orange County. Our goal is
<br /> to end harmful practices against women and girls such as child marriage, human trafficking, and other
<br /> forms of gender-based violence right here in the U.S.
<br /> I applaud council members Mendoza, Lopez, and Phan for introducing the resolution on the agenda,
<br /> as part of the consent calendar for the vote tomorrow. We grateful for them opting to take the
<br /> initiative to protect the children of this great city, county, and state.
<br /> As you know there have been 300,000 minors married in the U.S. between 2000 and 2018 mostly
<br /> young girls married to adult men and 23,588 in CA. 60,000 of the 300,000 would have been
<br /> considered a sex crime (statutory rape) because of the age differential. In CA not only is child
<br /> marriage legal but there is no minimum age. All you need is parental consent and judicial approval.
<br /> According to all the child marriage survivors we work with, parental approval is parental coercion.
<br /> 50% of them were coerced by their parents to cover the crime of statutory rape. We also made history
<br /> in CA by launching the CA Coalition to end child marriage on 9/14/2019.
<br /> Our resolution calling to "end child marriage under 18, no exceptions" passed unanimously in 12
<br /> cities. 11/34 Orange County cities and Culver City. Irvine (8/11/2020), Anaheim (8/25/2020), Newport
<br /> Beach (10/13/2020), Yorba Linda (11/3/2020), Fullerton (11/17/2020), Mission Viejo (2/9/2021 , 4/5),
<br /> Costa Mesa (3/2/2021), Culver City (5/10/2021), Tustin (5/18/2021), Laguna Beach (8/10/2021, 4/5),
<br /> Huntington Beach (9/7/2021), and Buena Park (3/8/2022, 4/5)
<br /> 1 respectfully request a vote in support of resolution #29 on the consent calendar calling upon our
<br /> California Legislators to introduce and pass a bill that would end child marriage in California
<br /> and I urge you to go one step further namely:
<br /> To change Section 1 of Resolution #29 to read: NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED by
<br /> the City Council of the City of Santa Ana that:
<br /> Section 1 . The City of Santa Ana calls upon our state legislators to introduce and pass a bill that
<br /> would end child marriage under 18, no exceptions, in California.
<br /> Thank you very much for your time and attention to this appeal in support of this critical issue to
<br /> protect our children.
<br /> Sincerely,
<br />
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