Executive plan for strengthening response to violence against women, children launched

AMMAN — The National Council for Family Affairs (NCFA) and the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) Jordan, on Monday launched the Executive Plan for the National Priorities for Strengthening the Response to Gender-Based Violence, Domestic Violence and Child Protection 2021-2023.

The launch event targeted donors and international organisations to review the implementation of the plan, which was approved by the Cabinet, as well as discussing the possibility of funding for the coming years.

Mohammad Meqdadi, NCFA secretary general, said that the plan aims to strengthen the protection system in the Kingdom, which requires all institutions to join efforts to put the activities of this plan into practice and follow up within an integrated, holistic and institutional framework.

Meqdadi said that the launch of the plan coincides with the joining of Jordan in the Global Partnership to End Violence against Children, which requires the existence of an approved national plan to combat violence.

“This plan will be the base from which we proceed nationally to address all forms of violence, while working with UNICEF, UNFPA, all UN institutions, as well as international and national institutions to review the axis of child protection from violence within the plan,” he said

Ensherah Ahmad, head of UNFPA Jordan Office, noted that the plan is part of the joint global programme for basic services for women and girls exposed to violence, launched by the UNFPA Jordan in partnership with other UN institutions.

“This plan reflects the most important interventions to ensure quality and coordination in the multi-sectoral response to gender-based violence to be provided by the health, social services, police and justice sectors,” she said.

Ahmad emphasised UNFPA’s commitment to continue to support for the Jordanian government in providing a protective environment for women and girls, supporting violence survivors and strengthening national capacities to address child and forced marriage.

The NCFA, in partnership with the UNFPA, updated the matrix based on the results of a regional survey conducted by the UNFPA in accordance with the “Essential Services Package” programme, which aims to provide greater access to a coordinated set of essential and quality multi-sectoral services in the sectors of health, social services, and justice and policing for all those subject to gender-based violence, the event heard.

The plan firstly includes implementation activities for each sector that are classified according to seven main areas: Human resources, capacity building, service improvement, logistical support, legislation and policies, partnership and coordination, and awareness, as well as quantitative and qualitative performance indicators within the primary and secondary stakeholders in a certain timeframe, according to  a presentation at the event.

The plan also works within a specific monitoring and evaluation framework in order to provide an annual monitoring and evaluation tool for the executive plan and a periodic completion reports matrix.

According to the plan, the social services sector will be provided with safe housing with social and psychological specialists in proportion to the number of cases, workload and necessary assessment processes, at an annual rate of 15 social workers and 15 psychologists.

The plan will also ensure job stability for trained and qualified staff in the social services sector dealing with violence cases, promote economic empowerment programmes for violence survivors.