Attachments
Executive summary
Purpose
This systematic mapping of literature on child marriage in Jordan was undertaken by Dr Aisha Hutchinson in partnership with Terre des Hommes – Lausanne in Jordan. It was completed as the first stage of empirical research that aims to better understand the impact of displacement on child marriage in Syrian refugee communities in Jordan and Lebanon, and to develop a contextually and culturally framework of risk and protection to inform policy and practice strategies. Child marriage is defined as the marriage (registered or unregistered) of any person under the age of 18. While several literature reviews of child marriage within the Syrian refugee communities in Jordan have been completed [1-7], this map provides comparative elements for a more nuanced appreciation of the impact of prolonged displacement, and of possible dynamic processes amongst refugee and host communities over time. The map includes 76 items from 1970–2017. The map also includes a methodological assessment of the literature reviewed, which allows conclusions to be made about the quality of the evidence that is currently available on child marriage in Jordan.
This map systematically analyses each piece of literature in response to nine key questions about child marriage and therefore gives a comprehensive overview of how each piece of literature answers these questions:
1-What are the rates of child marriage in different communities in Jordan?
2-What is it like to be married under 18 in different communities in Jordan?
3-What is the process of marriage for different communities in Jordan?
4-How is child marriage understood and conceptualised in different communities in Jordan?
5-What are the drivers of child marriage in different communities in Jordan?
6-What are the consequences of child marriage in different communities in Jordan?
7-What do we know about the relationship between child marriage and education in different communities in Jordan?
8-What are the recommendations for preventing child marriage and caring for those affected by child marriage in different communities in Jordan?
9-What are the current interventions in response to child marriage in different communities in Jordan?
A systematic and robust methodology is used to identify literature that answers these nine questions (see full report) and brings all these answers together in this one document. The analysis completed identifies areas of consensus and discord, and apparent gaps. ‘Old’ literature is presented through a ‘new’ lens, with the aim of being particularly supportive to policy makers, coordinators, strategists and programme developers as new strategies in response to child marriage are currently being developed.