Family in Jordan

Every county has varying concepts of what “family” is.  Factors such as politics and religion have an influence on a particular country’s definition of the word. The country of Jordan is no exception to this influence.

Jordan’s political system is defined as a “constitutional monarchy” in which the King signs and carries out all laws as well as exercises authority over the armed forces. It is a hereditary system where a son takes rule after the passing of his father. The King is assisted by the Council of Ministers (his main partner being the Prime Minister), and legislative power is given to a bicameral parliament. There is also a separate judicial branch that is divided into three categories: civil, religious and special.  There are 12 areas of which Jordan is divided, each with its own governor appointed by the King. Within this government system, according to the US Department of State, local governments are under a quota to reserve 20% of the political seats for women. Though the Jordanian government has been working its way to a democracy since 1989 through several reforms guided by the late King Hussein, this is the first instance in which I realized that women, it seems, don’t naturally have complete equality in Jordan. In my opinion, if women had an equal chance of being elected to governmental positions, Jordan wouldn’t need to have a set quota to reserve seats for women. Also, all rulers thus far in Jordan (as in several countries including the United States) have been men, enforcing the idea that men are the main source of control. This may or may not be a connection to how the concept of family is perceived in Jordan.  

King Abdullah II is currently the King of Jordan. He took over after the passing of his father, King Hussein. Jordan operates under a system of government known as a constitutional monarchy determined by heredity.  

To go a bit more in depth on this idea of the man being in control, the site Every Culture points out some of the gender roles that are commonly seen in Jordan. The sites says, “sons are prized, and this status continues throughout adulthood.” From what I have read it seems as though most components of a woman’s life are directed by their close male relatives. The bride’s father arranges most marriages, and it is common for the bride and groom to barely know each other before the marriage ceremony. After a couple is officially married, the husband takes the control in the relationship. Divorce is apparently legal, but rates remain low due to the fact that the husband will automatically receive custody of the children.

It appears that women are often neglected in the Jordanian culture. An article that ran in the Jordan Times reported a circumstance in which a mother left her family in order to escape domestic violence. By leaving, the woman lost connection to her daughters and ended up living in a shelter. Other articles posted in the media have recognized the problems of violence that occur in Jordanian relationships. Could this be due to the ideas represented in a monarchy? 

Jordanian women often have important aspects of their lives, such as marriage, controlled by the men they're closest to.