Gov't reaffirms commitment to women's rights as civil society says more work needed

AMMAN — The Kingdom marks International Women's Day on Tuesday with several activities highlighting the achievements made to boost women's participation in all fields.

Rights groups will also use this occasion to highlight the economic, political, legal and social challenges that are still facing women and hindering their advancement.

One of the main events to take place on Tuesday is an activity to celebrate Jordan's role in reactivating UN Resolution 1325 (women, peace and security) that will be organised by the Jordanian National Commission for Women (JNCW) in coordination with a local coalition and UN Women. 

The event, scheduled to be held under the patronage of HRH Princess Basma, will be held at the King Hussein Business Park.

The UN resolution addresses women's safety and security in times of war and conflicts, considering women as an active factor in peace and war, and committing UN member states to take measures to implement the decision.

Meanwhile, Basil Tarawneh, the government's coordinator on human rights, issued a statement to mark the occasion, stressing the government's commitment to empowering women and ensuring equal rights as stipulated in the Constitution and international conventions.

"We need to get outside the box and reject the stereotyping of women by implementing plans that could be applied within all sectors of society and would eventually boost women's political participation," Tarawneh said.

At the same time, he added, "women bear the responsibility to become more involved in the efforts that are being exerted to empower them".  

On the occasion, the Sisterhood is Global Institute (SIGI) said that improving women's status will automatically lead to better development and improving the lives of men and children. 

The group said there are 89,000 families that are being supported by women in Jordan. 

SIGI added that the ratio of early marriage among women ranges between 12 and 14 per cent, noting that eliminating this percentage will lead to more women getting better education and becoming pioneers of the future.

The institute also called for scrapping Article 308 of the Penal Code that allows sexual offenders to avoid punishment if they marry their victims. 

Other activities scheduled to take place in the Kingdom include an event organised by the Jordanian Women Association (RAMA) at the Professional Associations Complex in Shmeisani that includes a book exhibition, bazaar and highlighting the most 100 important women as well as a panel discussion with head of the Jordanian Women's Union, Tahani Shakhshir; activist Laila Khaled; Saeed Diab, the secretary general of the Jordanian Democratic Popular Party; and Rania Laswi from RAMA.

In a statement also released on the occasion, the Jordan Human Rights Society (JHRS) said customs and traditions — not the law — are governing women's lives in Jordan.  

The society said there is an urgent need to amend the Personal Status Law when it comes to women and inheritance.  

The JHRS stressed that women should be granted more time to decide if they want to maintain what they should inherit or want to give it up for a male relative.  

"Many relatives in the family take advantage of the short period of mourning and convince their female relatives to waive their inheritance rights in favour of their male relatives," the JHRS said.  

These individuals exert social pressure on women and "try to convince them that it is a shame to inherit, taking advantage of "the time when women are vulnerable the most", the society added.

Figures from 2015 census

The number of men in Jordan is more than women by around half a million. Men are 5,046,612, while women are 4,485,100

There are 100 females to every 113 males in Jordan's entire population 

Among Jordanians, there are 104 males to each 100 females

The ratio of women-led households has increased by 3% since 1979, from 8.8% to 11.8% in 2015

Divorce among women is 1.7%, compared with 0.6% among men

Average marriage age among women in 21.2, compared with 25.5 among men

Illiteracy among women is double than that for men, with 8.9% of females illiterate compared with 4.6% of males

55% of females are covered by health insurance, compared with 50% of males

Source: Department of Statistics