An engagement party for two children, one of whom is 10 years old, and the other is 11 years old, in Irbid, has revived the controversy over early marriage in Jordan.

And he posted on social media videos that reflected the participation of hundreds of children’s concerts, Muhanna and Muhammad, where users of the communication sites expressed their disapproval of the ceremony, and demanded that the concerned authorities hold the parents accountable and bring them to justice.

“Sky News Arabia” visited the two children’s home and met their father, who said that the ceremony was not a wedding, but an engagement party, and he fulfilled a promise he made to the children’s grandfather years ago to be engaged to them when they reach the age of ten, stressing that the marriage will take place when they reach the age of eighteen, according to Law.

Youssef Al-Sharifin, a specialist in Sharia judiciary, said: “Jordanian law sets the age of marriage at eighteen, but it allowed the marriage contract from the age of sixteen in special cases and within conditions, including the approval of the judge, and if the marriage is a necessity necessitated by the interest, and that it takes place after the availability of Conditional consent and choice.

Al-Sharifin added that the latest studies showed that the year 2020 witnessed a rise in marriages under the age of 18, after witnessing a decrease in the number of marriages for this category for the years 2017, 2018 and 2019.

According to the statistics of the Chief Justice Department, the number of marriages for those under the age of 18 in 2020 amounted to about 7,964 out of 67,389 marriages, or 11.8 percent, up from the year 2019, which amounted to 7,224 cases, or 10.6 percent, and in 2018 the number was 8226, or 11.6 percent. percent, and in 2017, the number was 10,434 cases, or 13.4 percent.

Ayat Abu Al-Awn, who is interested in women’s affairs, called for dealing with the marriage of a 16-year-old as an exception, implementing it within the narrowest limits, and tightening the procedures followed during its implementation.

Abul-Oun called for strictness in the procedures applied for the marriage of those under 18 years of age, and the establishment of courses for those who are about to marry, as it is an urgent need.

It is noteworthy that Jordan amended the law twice during the past years, the first time in 2017, where it allowed marriage for those who completed 15 solar years of their age and did not complete 18 years, provided that the difference in age does not exceed 15 years between spouses.

In 2019, with the pressure of civil society organizations, the Jordanian parliament amended the age of marriage and raised it in special cases, and it began at the age of sixteen under strict conditions.