Meet Rise Up Leader Sadia Khan, an Advocate Fighting to End Forced and Early Marriages

In California, there is no minimum age for marriage if a parent consents—a reality that has left many without the freedom to choose their own future.

Survivors of forced and early marriage often face lifelong risks to their health, safety and economic security, including higher rates of domestic violence, school dropouts, maternal and infant mortality, long-term poverty and barriers to health care, legal protections and stable housing.

Although California has proposed a statewide minimum age for marriage, the law does not fully protect those at risk or give survivors the support they need to safely leave harmful situations.

Sadia Khan is one of many Rise Up Leaders driving transformational change in their communities and countries. With training and funding from PHI’s Rise Up, Sadia and her organization, the Family Violence Law Center, developed three survivor-informed bills aimed at closing these legal loopholes. In early 2025, two of these bills were formally introduced to the California legislature—a major milestone toward lasting legal change.

Sadia’s team conducted a statewide survey of survivors to ensure their legislation reflects their needs and lived experiences. They also trained over 1,600 people—including domestic violence advocates, key lawmakers and youth leaders—on the complexities of early and forced marriage and how to best support survivors.

Sadia’s Freedom to Choose campaign has already impacted more than 30,000 people—strengthening legal protections for survivors, educating the communities across California and building momentum to end forced and child marriage in the state and beyond.

In 2025, with continued support and a second round of funding from Rise Up, Sadia is advancing the next phase of Freedom to Choose: advocating for a Forced Marriage Protective Order to give thousands of survivors a dedicated legal tool to prevent abuse, seek protection and access survivor support services.

“Rise Up’s methodology gave me the structure, tools, and confidence to move from concept to actionable strategy,” said Sadia. “The Accelerator created a space where I could test ideas, receive constructive feedback, and sharpen my legislative and community engagement skills.”

Sadia and the Family Violence Law Center will continue public education efforts to raise awareness of forced and child marriage, support survivors, and equip domestic violence advocates across California to respond more effectively.

“What we hope to achieve in California is just the start,” shared Sadia. “Our goal is to bring forced marriage restraining orders across the U.S. to ensure everyone is protected against forced marriage and to create an intervention before these marriages even occur.”

A version of this impact story first appeared in a Rise Up newsletter and on their website.