Article 61 of Jordan’s Personal Status Law No. 36 of 2010 provides that a wife who works outside the home is entitled to alimony only if the husband has given explicit consent to the work.
- Country: Jordan
- Law status: Discriminatory law in force
- Law Type: Marriage, Divorce, Polygamy & Wife Obedience
Sex discrimination in marital status laws renders women and girls subordinate in many aspects of family relations before, during and after marriage.
Laws that provide the husband the right to prevent or object to the wife working outside the home can prevent a married woman from being economically independent and make her more vulnerable to abuse and exploitation.
The Law:
Article 61 of Jordan’s Personal Status Law No. 36 of 2010 provides that a wife who works outside the home is entitled to alimony only if the husband has given explicit consent to the work.
Article 61. (A) A wife, who works outside the home is entitled to Alimony (Nafaqa) under two conditions:
- The work must be legitimate
- The husband gives explicit or manifested consent to the work.
(B) A husband may not revoke his consent to his wife’s work except for a legitimate reason and without causing harm to her.
Note: Article 6 of the Constitution of the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan: Jordanians shall be equal before the law. There shall be no discrimination between them as regards to their rights and duties on grounds of race, language or religion.