‘Authorities to support national day for Jordanian women’

AMMAN — The women’s movement on Sunday received guarantees from the government to designate a national day for Jordanian women.

The guarantees were made during a meeting with Minister of Political and Parliamentary Affairs and Minister of State Musa Maaytah to discuss the September 20 parliamentary elections.

“I believe it is of utmost importance to designate a national day for Jordanian Women,” Maaytah told women’s groups at the ministry. 

The minister added that this was an “old request that was not followed up on by the women’s movement”.

“Some women’s groups submitted a request almost two years ago to the government and never followed up on it,” the minster explained.

“This is surely an initiative that will be supported by the government, because it is important to highlight the achievements, struggle and heroic acts of our Jordanian women,” he added.

Women’s groups welcomed the minister’s positive response to their demands, stressing that the importance of allocating a special day for Jordanian women, other than March 8, which is International Women’s Day”.

Amal Haddadin, from the Jordanian National Commission for Women, said the commission would contact women’s organisations in Jordan to agree on a day.

“We will also use social media to survey individuals and groups on the best day to designate to honour Jordanian women and their achievements over the years,” Haddadin told the gathering.

Maaytah assured the women leaders that once the ministry received the suggested date, “I will personally make sure to send it to the Cabinet for consideration and approval”.