Every year, on 11 October, the world observes the International Day of the Girl Child. This year, the occasion is marked under the theme “Ending Child Marriage and Investing in Girls’ Rights,” highlighting the need to intensify efforts to eliminate child marriage and invest in girls’ rights, ensuring their access to education, protection, care, and equal opportunities for development, participation, and shaping their futures.
The National Centre for Human Rights (NCHR) emphasizes that protecting girls and promoting their rights require continued efforts to develop relevant national legislation, policies, and strategies, and to translate their provisions into effective measures and programmes that ensure girls are protected from all forms of violence, exploitation, and discrimination.
In this context, children’s rights in general, and girls’ rights in particular, have received attention at both the legislative and policy levels in Jordan, as reflected in several important developments. These include the provisions of Chapter Two of the Jordanian Constitution concerning the rights and duties of Jordanian men and women, the principles of equality and non-discrimination, and the protection of children from abuse and exploitation.
Jordan has also ratified the Convention on the Rights of the Child, which was published in the Official Gazette in 2006. Furthermore, the enactment of the Child Rights Law of 2022 represents a positive step towards fulfilling Jordan’s international obligations. This was followed by the Social Development Law of 2024, which includes provisions concerning the protection and care of children in need of such services, juveniles, and children of nursery age.
The National Social Protection Strategy for 2025–2033 has also been launched, encompassing key pillars aimed at strengthening protection and empowerment and improving social services. In addition, the NCHR’s Strategic Plan for 2025–2029 places children’s rights among the Centre’s priorities, including monitoring the status of children’s rights, following up on relevant recommendations, strengthening protection against emerging risks, and supporting the right of children with disabilities to inclusive education.
These developments are further complemented by a decline in marriage cases involving children aged 16 to under 18, consistent with the Centre’s recommendations to reduce marriage among persons under the age of 18, as outlined in its previous annual reports and statements published in local newspapers and on its official websites.
The NCHR considers these developments important steps towards strengthening the legislative and policy framework for child protection. At the same time, the Centre stresses the importance of completing the necessary regulatory frameworks to ensure the effective implementation of legislation relating to children’s rights, continuing to review legislation to strengthen protection against violence, exploitation, and child labour, and activating aftercare systems.
The Centre further emphasizes the need to ensure that national strategies and plans are translated into measurable and implementable programmes, supported by adequate resources and regular monitoring and evaluation of their impact on children, particularly girls.
The NCHR also affirms that investing in girls’ rights requires ensuring their continued access to education, reducing school dropout rates and child labour, strengthening their protection from violence and exploitation, and providing care, protection, and psychosocial support services to girls who are most in need of protection.
The Centre further underscores the need to develop national policies and legislation in line with relevant international standards concerning protection against various forms of digital violence, while safeguarding the privacy and confidentiality of children’s personal data. It also calls for awareness-raising campaigns and the broader integration of media and digital literacy concepts into school curricula, in accordance with the best interests of the child.
Furthermore, the NCHR emphasizes the importance of strengthening the role and functions of the Aftercare Department at the Ministry of Social Development by implementing aftercare programmes targeting children, particularly girls, to protect them from repeated exposure to violence and exploitation.
The Centre also calls for the development of a national system to monitor incidents of violence and abuse against children, the implementation of awareness programmes to educate girls about the provisions of the Cybercrime Law and ways to protect themselves from online exploitation, and the continued expansion of school transportation programmes, thereby contributing to safer school environments and ensuring girls’ access to and continued participation in education.
