CAP Critical Thinking Paper

Kiran Kochar McCabe

2016
Green Group

Because of the Syrian refugee crisis, the negative impacts on girls health, and
the Jordanian governments failure to uphold the UN Convention of the Rights of the
Child, the Jordanian government must educate their population and enforce their
existing laws that pertain to child marriage. Women and girls make up 70% of the
worlds internally displaced population, and more than half of the estimated 2.8 million
Syrian refugees are younger than 18 years old (Lemmon) and as of 2015, there are
about 153,000 women and girls of reproductive age out of a total of approximately
623,000 refugees in Jordan (Nabhan). Among Syrian refugees in Jordan, about 32% of
registered marriages in 2014 involved a girl under the age of 18 (Girls Not Brides).
These statistics show the enormity of child marriage in refugee camps. Girls in refugee
camps are at risk of having even fewer rights than usual, and the destitution their
families face compounds this issue. Families are placed in a difficult situation on what
to do with their daughters. The decision for many is marriage.

Around the world, there are about 39,000 girls who get married every day
(CARE). In refugee families, girls are viewed as just another mouth to feed. Child
marriage rates in Jordan are increasing dramatically, and they will continue to increase
if there isnt more done to help quell the problem. Families look at child marriage as a
way to provide for and protect their daughters in an unstable environment (Girls Not
Brides). Some marry to help Syrian men enter Jordan, which is easier for a man who
has marital status, and others marry Jordanian men who may then be able to secure
sponsorship and enable the girl and her family to leave the refugee camp (Girls Not
Brides). Families are so destitute that some essentially sell their daughters to older

men for money. Syrian brokers and men from the Gulf States pay between 2,000 and
10,000 Jordanian dinars ($2,800 to $14,000) for a bride (Syrian Conflict: Untold
Misery). Many girls reluctantly agree to one of these marriages so that they can help
their family, but usually the marriages dont turn out well for the girls. Some men even
abandon their young brides after they become pregnant.

Although there are many things being done to combat child marriage in refugee
camps, but as the statistics indicate, they are not enough. Non-profit organizations are
working in refugee camps, trying to educate people on what will happen to girls who are
married early, and showing them that education is the best path forward. These
organizations try to provide alternatives to families such as income generation and
informal schooling, so that these girls can live the most fulfilling life possible.
Additionally, organizations are creating space to enable an open dialogue between
parents and children about child marriage and its implications for individuals and their
community (Dr. Zeinab).

In 1989 the UN drafted the Convention on the Rights of the Child which provides
an outline of the fundamental human rights of every child. Child marriage violates
several of the rights articulated in the Convention. For example, the Convention states,
The child shall have the right to freedom of expression; this right shall include freedom
to seek, receive and impart information and ideas of all kinds, regardless of frontiers,
either orally, in writing or in print, in the form of art, or through any other media of the
child's choice. Child marriage violates this right, as it forces many girls into situations
where they cannot express their wishes and where they are submissive to their

husbands and families. Many girls in marriage are not provided with the tools needed to
share their opinions, and this is a violation of this part of the Convention.

Child marriage is detrimental to a girls life, and it forces her to grow up much
sooner than she should have to. Girls who are married young face many challenges.
They end up having children when they are still children themselves. This causes these
girls to have psychological and physical health issues. They are faced with higher rates
of maternal mortality and complications during pregnancy and childbirth (Girls Not
Brides). The opportunity for a girl to reach her full potential and become a valuable
asset to the community is compromised when she is married young and becomes a
mother. The bottom line is that child marriage is harmful not only to a girls life but also
to her community as a whole.

There are different steps that can be taken to help solve this problem.
Governments can take a larger part in what organizations are currently doing by
providing monetary assistance and resources to help girls and their families. Increasing
birth registration will help girls prove their age, stay in school and allow them to obtain
financial aid if they get divorced (Girls Not Brides). Quality and safe schooling need to
be made available to all children, especially girls, as education is key to stopping child
marriage (Girls Not Brides). Girls ought to have access to youth-friendly health
services, which is hard with so many refugees; however, it is possible, and just letting
girls know that it is there will help (Girls Not Brides) since they will see that there is a
resource available to them. Providing financial assistance will help to combat child

marriage as many families marry off their daughters young because they cant afford the
burden of having another mouth to feed.

If this problem is not solved, girls lives will continue to be marginalized and the
cycle of poverty will be repeated generation after generation. According to the
Executive Director of Girls Not Brides, Lakshmi Sundaram, the number of women
married in childhood will increase from more than 700 million today to 1.2 billion by
2050. Jordan will be especially hit hard by this increase to its population because of the
refugee crisis. Studies have shown that since the Syrian refugee crisis, child marriage
has increased by 20% in refugee camps in Jordan (Girls Not Brides). Girls will continue
to drop out of school to get married and help support their family. Communities will
have sidelined the potential of women to contribute to their economic growth and
sustainability. Girls themselves will also suffer. Their health will be jeopardized, and
this could cause their children to have health complications as well. If this problem is
allowed to continue, girls who have the potential to cure cancer or lead their country will
be lost and instead have to bear children at too young of an age.

In conclusion, the Jordanian government needs to raise awareness on the

negative implications of child marriage and enforce their existing child marriage laws.
The Syrian refugee crisis has increased the number of girls in child marriage, which
results in increased negative health implications for them. The Jordanian government
has failed to uphold the UN Convention of the Rights of the Child which they ratified in
1991. Child marriage is detrimental to communities as a whole and proves fatal to
young girls. This issue cannot be solved quickly because it is intertwined with many

other problems. The knowledge exists on how to address this issue and what is needed
now is the political will and the participation of communities and individuals.

Works Cited
CARE. "Stop Child Marriage." CARE. CARE, n.d. Web. 15 Feb. 2016.
<http://www.care.org/work/womens-empowerment/child-marriage>.
Dr. Zeinab. "I Could Tell My Story." CARE. CARE, 11 July 2014. Web. 20 Mar. 2016.
<http://www.care.org/blog/i-could-tell-my-story>.
Girls Not Brides. "Child Marriage and the Syrian Conflict: 7 Things You Need to Know."
Girls Not Brides. Idea Bureau, 3 Feb. 2016. Web. 19 Mar. 2016.
<http://www.girlsnotbrides.org/child-marriage-and-the-syrian-conflict-7-things-you-needto-know/>.
- - -. "How Can We End Child Marriage." Girls Not Brides. Idea Bureau, n.d. Web. 20
Mar. 2016. <http://www.girlsnotbrides.org/how-can-we-end-child-marriage/>.
- - -. "Humanitarian and Natural Disasters Linked to Increase in Child Marriage, Warns
Girls Not Brides." Girls Not Brides. Idea Bureau, 30 Sept. 2015. Web. 20 Mar. 2016.
http://www.girlsnotbrides.org/humanitarian-and-natural-disasters-linked-to-increase-inchild-marriage-warns-girls-not-brides/>.
Lemmon, Gayle Tzemach. "Fragile States, Fragile Lives: Child Marriage amid Disaster
and Conflict." Girls Not Brides. Idea Bureau, 30 July 2014. Web. 19 Mar. 2016.
<http://www.girlsnotbrides.org/fragile-states-fragile-lives-child-marriage-amid-disasterconflict/>.
Nabhan, Suad. "Women and Girls in the Syria Crisis: UNFPA Response Facts and
Figures." UNFPA. UNFPA, 2015. Web. 19 Mar. 2016.
<https://www.unfpa.org/sites/default/files/resource-pdf/UNFPA-FACTSANDFIGURES5%5B4%5D.pdf>.

"Syrian Conflict: Untold Misery of Child Brides." BBC News. BBC, 20 Aug. 2014. Web.
15 Feb. 2016. <http://www.bbc.com/news/world-middle-east-28250471>.
United Nations. "Convention on the Rights of the Child." United Nations Human Rights
Office of the High Commissioner. OHCHR, n.d. Web. 15 Feb. 2016.
<http://www.ohchr.org/EN/ProfessionalInterest/Pages/CRC.aspx>.
United Nations Population Fund. "Shelter from the Storm a Transformative Agenda for
Women and Girls in a Crisis-Prone World." UNFPA. UNFPA, 2015. Web. 20 Mar. 2016.
<https://www.unfpa.org/swop#Response>.

Annotated Bibliography
CARE. "Stop Child Marriage." CARE. CARE, n.d. Web. 15 Feb. 2016.
<http://www.care.org/work/womens-empowerment/child-marriage>.
This website provides overall information about child marriage, and has statistics that
are helpful in seeing the impact of child marriage worldwide.
Dr. Zeinab. "I Could Tell My Story." CARE. CARE, 11 July 2014. Web. 20 Mar. 2016.
<http://www.care.org/blog/i-could-tell-my-story>.
This provides a personal story about one girls experience in child marriage, and it also
shows what CARE, a nonprofit organization, is doing to combat this issue.
Girls Not Brides. "Child Marriage and the Syrian Conflict: 7 Things You Need to Know."
Girls Not Brides. Idea Bureau, 3 Feb. 2016. Web. 19 Mar. 2016.
<http://www.girlsnotbrides.org/child-marriage-and-the-syrian-conflict-7-things-you-needto-know/>.
This website provides information specific to child marriage in refugee camps and in
relation to the Syrian conflict.
- - -. "Jordan - Child Marriage." Girls Not Brides. Idea Bureau, n.d. Web. 15 Feb. 2016.
<http://www.girlsnotbrides.org/child-marriage/jordan/>.
This website provides information about child marriage in Jordan, and includes some
facts about Syrian refugees there.
- - -. "Syrian Arab Republic - Child Marriage." Girls Not Brides. Idea Bureau, n.d. Web.
15 Feb. 2016. <http://www.girlsnotbrides.org/child-marriage/syrian-arab-republic/>.
This website provides information about child marriage in Syria, and talks about push
factors for it.

Lemmon, Gayle Tzemach. "Fragile States, Fragile Lives: Child Marriage amid Disaster
and Conflict." Girls Not Brides. Idea Bureau, 30 July 2014. Web. 19 Mar. 2016.
<http://www.girlsnotbrides.org/fragile-states-fragile-lives-child-marriage-amid-disasterconflict/>.
This website provides information about child marriage in violence and the reasons for
child marriage in conflict.
Nabhan, Suad. "Women and Girls in the Syria Crisis: UNFPA Response Facts and
Figures." UNFPA. UNFPA, 2015. Web. 19 Mar. 2016.
<https://www.unfpa.org/sites/default/files/resource-pdf/UNFPA-FACTSANDFIGURES5%5B4%5D.pdf>.
This report provides many statistics about women and children in general in relation to
the Syrian refugee crisis, which makes it easier to see the bigger picture.
"Syrian Conflict: Untold Misery of Child Brides." BBC News. BBC, 20 Aug. 2014. Web.
15 Feb. 2016. <http://www.bbc.com/news/world-middle-east-28250471>.
This article talks about personal stories about women and girls that were married early
and makes the issue more emotional and moving.
United Nations. "Convention on the Rights of the Child." United Nations Human Rights
Office of the High Commissioner. OHCHR, n.d. Web. 15 Feb. 2016.
<http://www.ohchr.org/EN/ProfessionalInterest/Pages/CRC.aspx>.
This is the Convention on the Rights of the Child which outlines the rights of children
everywhere, and what is and isnt allowed in terms of the children.

United Nations Population Fund. "Shelter from the Storm a Transformative Agenda for
Women and Girls in a Crisis-Prone World." UNFPA. UNFPA, 2015. Web. 20 Mar. 2016.
<https://www.unfpa.org/swop#Response>.
This report provides information about women and girls and how they are affected by
crises.