AMMAN – On Sunday, the
Higher Population Council (HPC)
announced that early marriage for girls has begun to decline in Jordanian
society, but it remains prevalent among Syrian refugee households, Khaberni
reported.
اضافة اعلان
In a media briefing, the council clarified that early
marriage refers to the marriage of girls under the age of 18, specifically
between the ages of 16 and 17.
According to the council, some parents seek to marry their
daughters under the guise of protection, believing that marrying the young girl
secures her future and reduces the burden of caring for her, oblivious to the
health, psychological, and social risks associated with this harmful practice.
The council added that early married girls are "more
vulnerable to domestic violence," and that their marriage prevents them
from pursuing their education and training.
Furthermore, the council stated that young mothers are more
vulnerable to pregnancy difficulties and outcomes, as they are more likely to
lose their pregnancy or give birth to a premature and low-weight infant, both
of which are more likely to suffer from health problems and die after birth.
The
Supreme Judge Department (SJD) records and categorizes
marriage cases received from Sharia courts according to the groom's age,
gender, nationality, and marital status (single, married, divorced, widowed)
and the bride's marital status (single, divorced, widowed). About 100,000 girls
under the age of 18 have been registered for marriage in the past 10 years in
Jordan.
Statistics obtained from the SJD in the past ten years show
a decrease in the number of girls under the age of 18 getting married, and the
evidence of this is shown by the statistics for the past five years. Regardless
of nationality, this percentage decreased by about five percentage points
between 2017 and 2022, from about 17 percent to about 12 percent.
A similar decrease occurred among Syrian refugees during the
same period, from 43 percent to about 38 percent, but early marriage among the
Syrian refugee community “remains very high.”
A comparable decline happened among Syrian refugees during
the same period, from 43 percent to roughly 38 percent, but early marriage
among the Syrian refugee community "remains very high."
According to the HPC, the surge in Syrian refugees has
resulted in an increase in early marriage in the Mafraq Governorate, which has
consistently had the highest rates of girls marrying before the age of 18 of
any governorate in the Kingdom. Mafraq's latest early marriage rate was 21.2
percent, nearly double the Kingdom's national rate of 11.9 percent. This is
because the Mafraq Governorate has the biggest proportion of Syrian refugees.
The HPC ascribed the beginning of the drop in early marriage
to national efforts by relevant agencies to implement the Jordanian National
Action Plan (JONAP) to reduce marriage among Jordanians under the age of 18.
The HPC proposed that counseling sessions for those about to
marry may have contributed to a decrease in the rate of early marriage among
young girls. According to the rules for marriage preparation courses, this
qualification is required to provide permission for marriage if one of the
parties to the marriage contract is under the age of eighteen.
These classes are held in the SJD building for Amman
residents, in designated areas of selected Sharia court buildings in the
governorates, and at Ministry of Youth centers in the governorates.
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