Child marriage existed in Syria before the crisis – 13% of girls under 18 in Syria were married in 2011.5 But now, three years into the conflict, official statistics show that among Syrian refugee communities in Jordan – who we focus on in this briefing given the lack of statistics inside Syria itself – child marriage has
increased alarmingly, and in some cases has doubled. In Jordan, the proportion of registered marriages among the Syrian refugee community where the
bride was under 18 rose from 12% in 2011 (roughly the same as the figure in pre-war Syria) to 18% in 2012, and as high as 25% by 2013.6
The number of Syrian boys registered as married in 2011 and 2012
in Jordan is far lower, suggesting that girls are, as a matter of course, being married off to older males. This briefing, based on desk research and interviews, does not purport to be a comprehensive analysis of the complex situation of Syrian refugee girls and child marriage in Jordan. Rather, it provides a snapshot of the threats many of these girls face.