Jewel Gausman1, Areej Othman2, Abeer Dababneh3, Maysoon Dabobe4, Iqbal Hamad4, Insaf Daas3, Ana Langer5. 1. Women and Health Initiative, Department of Global Health and Population, Harvard TH Chan School of Public Health, Boston, MA, USA. jgausman@mail.harvard.edu. 2. Maternal and Child Health Nursing Department, School of Nursing, The University of Jordan, Amman, Jordan. 3. Center for Women's Studies, The University of Jordan, Amman, Jordan. 4. Jordanian Hashemite Fund for Human Development, Amman, Jordan. 5. Women and Health Initiative, Department of Global Health and Population, Harvard TH Chan School of Public Health, Boston, MA, USA.
Abstract
BACKGROUND: The determinants of sexual- and gender-based violence (SGBV) and early marriage are embedded across different levels of the social ecological system, including at the individual, family, community, and policy levels. In Jordan and the Middle East, SGBV, honor killing, and early marriage are priority public health and human rights issues that often overlap, and affect a significant percentage of youth. Jordan is home to a large number of refugees from across the Middle East, who may be even more vulnerable to these forms of violence than the local youth. The purpose of this analysis is to 1) synthesize the existing literature and 2) present the perspectives of key stakeholders to identify research gaps, programmatic lessons learned, and opportunities for policy change from an ecological perspective at the individual, community, health-system, and policy/legal levels. METHODS: This study includes 1) a systematic literature review of both published and unpublished literature since 2008 and 2) focus group discussions (FGDs) with key stakeholders representing 18 international and local governmental and non-governmental organizations. RESULTS: The literature review included 27 documents. Stakeholder discussions highlighted important research and policy gaps. Prevalence estimates of SGBV, honor killing, and early marriage vary across sources; however, all of them indicate that they remain important issues for youth in Jordan. Several sources indicate that early marriage has been increasing in Jordan since the beginning of the war in Syria, especially among Syrian refugees. Refugee youth are particularly vulnerable to SGBV and early marriage given the worsening economic situation in Jordan. The norms, attitudes, and practices that support SGBV in Jordan appear to be reinforced within families and communities. Despite ongoing programs, SGBV services are limited, especially for youth, and there is little awareness of service availability amongst target populations. Laws and policies continue to offer legal justification for SGBV, honor killing, and early marriage. DISCUSSION: As countries across the Middle East face instability and continue to struggle with the urgent health needs of large refugee and youth populations, this review provides valuable insight relevant to research, programs, and policy in Jordan and across the region.
BACKGROUND: The determinants of sexual- and gender-based violence (SGBV) and early marriage are embedded across different levels of the social ecological system, including at the individual, family, community, and policy levels. In Jordan and the Middle East, SGBV, honor killing, and early marriage are priority public health and human rights issues that often overlap, and affect a significant percentage of youth. Jordan is home to a large number of refugees from across the Middle East, who may be even more vulnerable to these forms of violence than the local youth. The purpose of this analysis is to 1) synthesize the existing literature and 2) present the perspectives of key stakeholders to identify research gaps, programmatic lessons learned, and opportunities for policy change from an ecological perspective at the individual, community, health-system, and policy/legal levels. METHODS: This study includes 1) a systematic literature review of both published and unpublished literature since 2008 and 2) focus group discussions (FGDs) with key stakeholders representing 18 international and local governmental and non-governmental organizations. RESULTS: The literature review included 27 documents. Stakeholder discussions highlighted important research and policy gaps. Prevalence estimates of SGBV, honor killing, and early marriage vary across sources; however, all of them indicate that they remain important issues for youth in Jordan. Several sources indicate that early marriage has been increasing in Jordan since the beginning of the war in Syria, especially among Syrian refugees. Refugee youth are particularly vulnerable to SGBV and early marriage given the worsening economic situation in Jordan. The norms, attitudes, and practices that support SGBV in Jordan appear to be reinforced within families and communities. Despite ongoing programs, SGBV services are limited, especially for youth, and there is little awareness of service availability amongst target populations. Laws and policies continue to offer legal justification for SGBV, honor killing, and early marriage. DISCUSSION: As countries across the Middle East face instability and continue to struggle with the urgent health needs of large refugee and youth populations, this review provides valuable insight relevant to research, programs, and policy in Jordan and across the region.
Entities:
Keywords:
Adolescents; Early marriage; Gender-based violence; Honor killing; Jordan; Middle East; Refugees; Sexual violence; Syria; Youth
Authors: Michele R Decker; Amanda D Latimore; Suzumi Yasutake; Miriam Haviland; Saifuddin Ahmed; Robert W Blum; Freya Sonenstein; Nan Marie Astone Journal: J Adolesc Health Date: 2015-02 Impact factor: 5.012