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http://womensenews.org/story/marriagedivorce/140218/syrian-refugees-early-marriages-end-early
Syria
- Girl Refugees’ Early Marriages Often End Early
Early marriages are subject to special pressures in the unstable conditions
of refugee camp life in Jordan. The divorces that follow can be complicated by
the questionable legal standing in which marriages are conducted.
A Syrian girl walking past Bedouin men during camel races
held in the ancient city of Palmyra, Syria.
By Dominique Soguel - WeNews - Middle East
Correspondent –February 19,014
ZAATARI
REFUGEE CAMP, Jordan (WOMENSENEWS)--Samir Abu Mohammed approved of the marriage
of his daughter in Zaatari refugee camp, the largest refugee camp here in
Jordan, last year.
His
daughter is 16 years old and her now ex-husband, also a Syrian refugee, is 22.
But after
about two months, the bride's father pushed for the young couple to separate.
"Her husband was tightfisted and barely fed her so we pushed for their
separation," he told Women's eNews. The decision was taken jointly with
his wife but his daughter had little say in the matter.
"She
was becoming skins and bones, it was the right decision," said his wife
Umm Mohammed.
This
family comes from the Syrian province of Daraa, cradle of the 2011 uprising
that was brutally repressed by Syrian President Bashar al-Assad's regime,
leading part of the population to take up arms and dragging the country into a
messy, bloody conflict.
Early
marriage was not uncommon in Syria before the crisis, with UNICEF
estimating that 3 percent of Syrian girls were married by age 15 and
13 percent by age 18, although the practice may be more prevalent in rural
communities such as the southern province of Daraa, where tribal traditions run
strong.
However,
displacement has had an impact on how early marriage is practiced by the Syrian
community. Many aid workers and Syrian refugees report larger age gaps between
the spouses than would have been considered acceptable back home.
In some
places, the problem of early marriage is leading to the issue of early divorce,
said Noor Al-Hussein, a Syrian working with women and girls in the refugee
camp. "Marriage under 18 is a problem, especially here in Zaatari, because
girls are getting married and divorced within two months."
As
families become scattered and fragmented by refugee life, girls from regions
where early marriage is practiced are marrying more often outside the
community, instead of with relatives or neighbors.
Observers
such as Al-Hussein say this erodes the traditional social supports and customs
that have helped teen newlyweds weather conflict. Some of these divorces may
leave ex-wives particularly vulnerable due to the questionable legal standing
of the marriages.
In 2002
Jordan amended its Personal Status Law to raise the legal age of marriage to 18
from 15. The amendment still allows exceptions for the marriage of teens
between the ages of 15 and 18 if the judge considers that this would
"benefit both spouses."
INFORMAL MARRIAGES
Syrian
refugees, however, often lack the means or documents to formally register any
of their marriages, exceptional or not. Those in Zaatari camp, for instance, go
to the Sharia Court of the nearest town, Mafraq, which requires a special
escort to leave the camp and costs about $42.
Instead,
many turn to religious leaders and village elders, or sheikhs, in the community
even though the contract they generate is not recognized by either Jordanian or
Syrian authorities and makes Syrian women and girls, and their children,
particularly vulnerable in case of divorce or separation.
Children
born out of such unofficial marriage arrangements risk statelessness.
"The
people who carried out marriage contracts inside the camp are not appointed or
legitimate authorities recognized by the embassies of their country; they bear
responsibility for the consequences," said Issam
Arabiya
added: "The fear is that in the future there will be issues. The most
important issue is proving the marriage, which requires formal documents. What
if the husband denies they were married or refuses to pay her dowry? She will
have no rights."
A judge
was appointed to officiate marriages in Zaatari to help address the problem
last year but had not assumed his functions as of February. Local sheikhs
approached by Women's eNews denied filling the role in the community, but
refugee families showed marriage contracts made by sheikhs in the camp.
Jordanian
laws regarding divorce and custody of minor children are adjudicated in
religious courts. If the marriage partners are Muslim, disputes will be
resolved before a Sharia court judge who will apply principles of Islamic law.
Christians turn to an ecclesiastical court.
In order
to divorce – a process that takes between six to 12 months in Jordan – couples
must have married following the official procedures of a religious court,
otherwise the couple faces a monetary fine as high as 1,000 dinar (about 1,400
U.S. dollars).
Complicating
the issue are differences in Jordanian and Syrian legislation. In Syria the
legal age for marriage is 17 for girls and 18 for boys. Religious leaders,
however, can authorize exceptions and approve a union at the age of 13 for
girls and 16 for boys. There are no penalties in Syria for marriages conducted
below the legal age of consent.
"The
monthly average of early marriages conducted in Jordan – for Jordanians,
Syrians and other nationalities – ranges from 80 to 120," said Karen
Whiting, a protection officer at the U.N. High Commissioner for Refugees
(UNHCR), in an email interview with Women's eNews.
A “FORCED
MARRIAGE”
Whiting
noted that child or early marriage is considered a "form of forced marriage
as girls are not legally competent to agree to such a union."
Consequences
of early marriage, she said, can include an increased likelihood of domestic
violence and sexual abuse, education opportunities cut short, social isolation
and reproductive health issues such as complications during childbirth due to
physiological immaturity.
There are
efforts to curb the practice. UNHCR and UNICEF have established a special task
force to tackle early marriage in Zaatari and the International Rescue
Committee has developed, in collaboration with Syrian women living in the camp,
an animated video campaign on the risks of early marriage.
One video
portrays a girl excited to be married and leave school but she soon learns that
she lacks basic household skills, such as making coffee, considered necessary
to please her new husband. Inevitably the story ends in divorce.
Such
messages resonate strongly with the experience of Alia. A native of Golan
Heights in her early 20s, Alia, whose name is being withheld to protect her
safety, recalls being married at age 15 in Syria.
It was a
short-lived experience, as she was engaged for two months to a relative and
divorced after only two months of marriage. But the experience has marked her
for life and now informs the social work she carries out with Syrian refugees
in north Jordan.
I wish
families who have young girls wouldn't marry them," she told Women's
eNews. "Even if the girl is happy for the first year or two, a day will
come when they will regret having married early. What I felt, I wish no one
would go through, especially because our society has no mercy."
Her
history as a child bride is one she has kept largely secret. She never shared
this information with colleagues for fear they would see her in a negative
light – as a fallen women or a disgraced divorcee – even though her peers are
likeminded and working on social issues.
The worst
feeling in the world is feeling like a victim. Even if you can adapt to your
situation, people around you will make you feel pressured because of their
thoughts, their convictions, even if they are wrong, they will judge you,"
she said, overcome by tears.