Child marriage continues to undermine girls’ rights, bodily autonomy, education, and economic participation in Jordan. Despite legal frameworks intended to protect children, existing exceptions and inconsistent implementation allow harmful practices to persist.

This policy brief outlines current legal gaps, emerging trends, and opportunities for reform to strengthen child protection systems and ensure alignment with international human rights obligations. It provides evidence-based recommendations for lawmakers, justice actors, and civil society working to advance legal equality and safeguard girls’ futures. An overview of Jordan’s legal and policy framework related to marriage age and judicial exceptions.

What’s inside the policy brief?

Analysis of implementation challenges and systemic barriers to enforcement
Examination of social, economic, and institutional drivers sustaining child marriage
Insights from regional and international legal standards, including CEDAW obligations
A roadmap for strengthening legal safeguards and accountability mechanisms
Analysis of political and parliamentary resistance to reforming personal status laws, including the impact of conservative blocs and constitutional constraints on legislative change

Who’s it for?

Members of Parliament and government policymakers
Judges, legal practitioners, and justice sector actors
Civil society organisations and women’s rights groups
UN agencies, international partners, and donors
Media professionals

Key takeaways and recommendations

Strengthen legal protections: Close legislative loopholes that permit under-18 marriage through exceptions or discretionary approvals.
Enhance accountability by improving the transparency of judicial authorisations and by making court data publicly accessible and disaggregated.
Align with international standards: Harmonise national laws with international commitments to eliminate child marriage.
Invest in prevention: Expand community-based awareness, access to education, and economic empowerment initiatives targeting girls and families.
Strengthen protection and referral mechanisms where child marriage cases intersect with violence, education disruption, or economic vulnerability.

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14 de abril de 2026

23 pages

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Key takeaways and recommendations

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What’s inside the policy brief?

Who’s it for?

Key takeaways and recommendations

About

Languages

Classification

More information

Explore more resources

Sonora, Mexico: Recommendations to reform the Penal Code on consent

Strengthening legal safeguards to end child marriage in Lebanon

Legal analysis on the age of sexual consent, the crime of rape, and the Romeo and Juliet clause in Guatemala

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