Ammon News - AMMONNEWS - Dr. Hussein al-Khozahe, writing exclusively for “Ammon,” reveals that teenage marriage and divorce in Jordan are on the rise. The teenage age group is defined by the World Health Organization (WHO) as between 10 and 19 years old.

Statistics reveal that the rising percentage of teenage marriages reached 27.4% of all marriages registered in Jordan in 2008. But what is alarming, according to al-Khozahe, is the continuous surge in the number of divorce cases among this age group.

Article (5) of Jordanian Personal Status Law number 61 for year 1976 states that the male should have completed 16 years of age and the female completed 15 years of age to get married. Amendments to this law in 2001 increased the age to 18, unless a judge allows the marriage for ages under 18 (but completed 15 years of age) if the chief justice finds beneficial interests in the marriage.

In 2008, judges granted marriage contracts to (9,014) couples in the age group (15-18).

Al-Khozahe questions the interests that lie behind marrying off girls in this age group. "I wonder who is responsible for marrying off girls at this age and depriving them of their rights to continue their education, work, and freedom to choose. I say this with no doubt, there is a dispossession of the girl’s right to choose a husband,” he states.

This, in al-Khozahe’s words, means that girls are being “married off” rather than “getting married.”

Marriage, built on understanding, compassion, and goodwill, is supposed to construct and strengthen social relations and is, in his view, the warmest and most solid form of integration and cooperation between members of society.

Yet he contends that teenage marriages — and more notably teenage divorces, are contributing further social problems starting with the inability of teenage couples to fulfill the psychological requirements of intimacy, lack of harmony, and ultimately the bitter consequences of divorce such as alimony.

Jordanian official statistics reveal that (16,513) marriages were registered in Jordan for the female age group of (15-19), up from (14,188) marriages in 2003.

(1,813) divorce cases were registered in 2008 for the same age group, up from (1,403) cases in 2003.

Given these alarming numbers, al-Khozahe calls for revising and amending the marriage age article in the Jordanian Personal Status Law, and banning any marriage contract conducted for males and females under the age of 18.

** Dr. Hussein al-Khozahe is an associate professor of sociology at al-Balqa’ Applied University.

Ohok1960@yahoo.com