Specialists call for better protection of victims of gender-based violence

AMMAN — Participants of a conference on gender-based violence (GBV) on Wednesday called for the proper application of laws that work in favour of protecting women and children.

The participants were attending a one-day national conference entitled “Gender-Based Violence Legal Protection” that was organised by Sisterhood Is Global Institute (SIGI) with the supported of Oxfam.

The participants called on the government to “ensure that there are clear instructions and regulations for all the laws related to women that are referred to Parliament for discussion and endorsement”, said SIGI’s Executive Director and former minister Asma Khader.

“On many occasions, the government sends laws but fails to send the regulations and instructions that will govern how the law will be implemented, which therefore hinders the application of the law,” she explained.

Khader told The Jordan Times: “In other words, we suggested that laws that pass by Parliament will end up remaining only ink on paper”.

The participants also recommended that the government and local organisations working with survivors of GBV be gender-sensitive and “understand the circumstances these individuals are going through”, Khader added.

“It is very important for everyone working in the field of GBV to follow special ethics and codes that work to protect the survivor’s identity, privacy, interest and provide them with the best available service,” she stressed.

Khader added that the recommendations called for amending several laws that still discriminate against women such as “allowing abortion in cases of rape and using DNA in paternity dispute cases, with the aim of protecting the rights of children”.

The recommendations will be forwarded to decision makers, parliamentarians and entities working with GBV for consideration and implementation, according to Khader