Princess Basma  celebrates birthday

AMMAN — Saturday marked the birthday of HRH Princess Basma, who has dedicated her career to empowering women and local communities in addition to promoting human development, gender equality, youth engagement and the development and well-being of children.

Her work on these issues is embodied in her role as chairperson of the Jordanian Hashemite Fund for Human Development (JOHUD), which since 1977 has been a pioneer in working with local communities to help address issues such as unemployment, poverty, women’s rights and youth empowerment, while providing services to adolescents and children in need and supporting refugees.

JOHUD operates through a network of 51 community development centres spread throughout the country’s populated and most remote regions. These facilities act as a vibrant focal point for the communities they serve, with large numbers of women and youth committees and volunteers who both manage and benefit from a wide range of projects and programmes.

The National Goodwill Campaign (GWC), a dynamic philanthropic initiative, grew out of JOHUD’s experience in the field. The GWC, started in 1991 in the form of direct aid and assistance, and has evolved into projects and initiatives that are aimed at helping individuals and communities gain financial independence and a better standard of living. Initiatives such as the medical assistance programme and the university scholarship scheme continues to support people of all ages throughout the country.

Princess Basma is known for her commitment to enhancing the role of women in civil society and bringing them into the public sphere. The Jordanian National Commission for Women (JNCW), headed by Princess Basma, has been the official representative and reference on all matters related to women’s rights. In partnership with governmental and non-governmental entities, the JNCW promotes gender mainstreaming and advancing women’s socioeconomic and political empowerment, while leading national efforts to formulate and further amendments to discriminatory laws against women.

HRH Princess Basma is an honorary human development ambassador for UNDP and goodwill ambassador for UN Women and UNFPA.

She is married to Walid Kurdi, and has four children; Farah (JOHUD’s executive director), Ghazi, Saad and Zein Al Sharaf and six grandchildren; Fatima Al Zahra, Zein Al Sharaf, Abdulaziz, Aysha, Iman and Basma.