Marriage dynamics in Palestine

Yara Jarallah, Birzeit University

This paper examines the marriage dynamics in Palestine in light of the ongoing political situation including the 1st and 2nd Intifadas. Our first data source is the 2004 Demographic and Health Survey DHS- type household survey undertaken by the Palestinian Central Bureau of Statistics (PCBS). A total of 5799 households including 4972 ever married women were surveyed. The second data source comes from a qualitative study conducted in 2008 that captured the profiles of both single women and those that were married at an early age. Results are expected to show a strong influence of the political context on the marriage dynamics signaling a rise in single hood, and a decrease yet persistent early age at marriage.