User:N6tr/Dawn Tyree



Dawn Tyree

Dawn Tyree is an author, human rights activist, and survivor of child marriage. Tyree went public with her story in 2018, when Nicholas Kristof, with The New York Times, featured her story in a spotlight on child marriage in the United States. Her harrowing story of survival went international within the first 48 hours.

Dawn was 13-years-old when she became pregnant by her nanny who was 32-years-old at the time. She was pressured by her rapist and parents into marrying. By marrying her rapist, it freed him from child sexual abuse charges and her parents from any child abuse or child endangerment charges.

Tyree's research in 2018 revealed that child marriage was legal in all 50 United States. She has since been on a crusade to end child marriage in the United States. She has provided testimony in four U.S. States and the US Virgin Islands. Her testimony and that of other survivors were critical in changing legislation.

Dawn Tyree is a founding member of the National Coalition to End Child Marriage in the United States and a member of Global Hope 365, a non-profit that is spearheading the effort to eliminate child marriage in the state of Califonia.

The U.S. Department of State calls child marriage a human rights abuse issue. There are no federal laws protecting minors from child marriage.