Abstract
BackgroundThe 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and policy/legal levels.MethodsThis study includes 1) a systematic literature review of both published and unpublished literature since 2008 and 2) focus group discussions (FGDs) with key stakeholders representing 18 international and local governmental and non-governmental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.ResultsThe 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.DiscussionAs 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.
Highlights
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
Seventeen documents were found to focus on Sexual and gender-based violence (SGBV) among youth populations, 11 of which were obtained in the academic literature and seven were obtained from the gray literature
Fourteen documents were found that focus on early marriage in Jordan, and all but six of the documents were retrieved from the gray literature
Summary
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. Feelings of shame and fear, combined with institutions that do not acknowledge or are not adequately prepared to support youth victims of SGBV, may reduce youth’s willingness to report SGBV, especially given heightened concerns over breeches in confidentiality and potential repercussion [10] Attributes of communities, such as poverty and deprivation, can intensify harassment, threats of physical and sexual violence, and increased pressure to engage in early sexual activity, by interacting with and exacerbating pre-existing, genderbased disparities [11], and by limiting the level of social support, community monitoring, and protective services present [12]. For example, is a human rights violation that is rooted in gender inequality that makes young women more susceptible to other forms of SGBV [13], while increasing their vulnerability to a wide range of adverse health outcomes, including those related to physical, mental, sexual and reproductive, and child health
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