Adolescent boys in Jordan: the state of the evidence

Adolescent boys living in Jordan have disparate experiences and needs – most of which we know very little about. Although research has been quite limited, with boys’ needs vis-à-vis girls’ poorly explored due to the ways in which the region’s patriarchal traditions leave girls more visibly at risk, on the whole, refugee boys are at higher risk than their native-born Jordanian peers across all domains.

There is growing interest in understanding masculinities in the development sector – as a route to not only reducing violence against girls and women and opening space for their empowerment, but also to improving the outcomes of boys and men. Given that the gender norms that shape those masculinities become more salient in adolescence, attention to adolescent boys’ masculinities is of particular interest. This situation analysis, which is meant as a companion piece to the longer situational analysis about adolescent girls, aims to briefly elucidate what we know about adolescent boys living in Jordan. It touches on each of the capability domains laid out in the conceptual framework of the Gender and Adolescence: Global Evidence (GAGE) research programme: education and learning; bodily integrity and freedom from violence; health, nutrition, and sexual and reproductive health; psychosocial well-being; voice and agency; and economic empowerment.

Suggested citation

Presler-Marshall, E. (2018) Adolescent boys in Jordan: the state of the evidence. London: Gender and Adolescence: Global Evidence. (https://www.gage.odi.org/publication/adolescent-boys-in-jordan/)