In Jordan, about a third of Syrian refugee marriages involve a child, government statistics show. Families under stress are increasingly marrying off their daughters to relieve financial hardship. © UNFPA Jordan/Sima Diab

“Girls back in Syria sometimes married young, too, but we see it happening much more frequently here,” said Izdihar, a mother of five living in the Zaatari refugee camp. © UNFPA Jordan/Sima Diab

She and her 16-year-old daughter, Saba, are helping to end this practice. Together, they are working with UNFPA and the Institute of Family Health of Jordan. © UNFPA Jordan/Sima Diab

Families will benefit more by educating their daughters than by marrying them off, they tell camp residents. “Education is a weapon. A diploma is a weapon,” Izdihar said. © UNFPA Jordan/Sima Diab

“My friend was really good in school, and she wanted to study, but the day she got pregnant they [her family] took her out of school,” Saba said. © UNFPA Jordan/Sima Diab

“When a girl gets an education and a diploma, she has a chance to get a good job instead of a husband who controls her,” she added. © UNFPA Jordan/Sima Diab