El Sobrante woman was forced to marry a man twice her age at 15. 30 years later, she watches Gov. Newsom sign the law that finally protects others

California has officially become the 18th state to ban child marriage after Governor Gavin Newsom signed Assembly Bill 1267 into law on Wednesday, The Mercury News reported. This new legislation sets the minimum age for marriage at 18, effectively closing a previous loophole that allowed people of any age to marry with the permission of a parent and a judge.

For Sara Tasneem, a 45-year-old resident of El Sobrante, this moment was the culmination of a nine-year journey. Tasneem was forced into marriage at 15 to a man nearly twice her age, and she spent years traveling to Sacramento to share her story with legislators. She often met with up to 20 lawmakers a day, hoping to convince them of the necessity of this change. Standing behind the governor as he signed the bill, Tasneem found the experience to be overwhelming.