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Guaranteeing the Rights of Women and Girls in Jordan: A Gender-Based Violence Prevention Strategy

by Hanna Rabah

By Elizabeth Romanoff Silva, MPA on January 22, 2014

Jordan has made notable progress in women’s rights and gender equality in recent years related to gender-based violence (GBV). In 2007, the country’s first large women’s shelter opened, and in 2008, Jordan’s Family Protection Law mandated that certain domestic abuse cases were to be managed by medical workers and law enforcement agencies. In addition, an equal employment clause and a sexual harassment law are now in effect in Jordan. The creation of the Jordanian National Commission for Women and its role to implement the country’s National Strategy for Jordanian Women are clear signs of a commitment to promoting a more equal society. Yet, GBV persists as a major barrier that thwarts the ability of women and girls in Jordan to reach their full potential. Much remains to be done to close the gender gap and prevent violence. In a recent survey, 32% of women and girls in Jordan reported experiencing physical violence, with husbands representing the majority of perpetrators. Moreover, the majority of Jordanians surveyed believed that physical violence against a woman or girl could be accepted under certain circumstances. Marital rape is not outlawed according to Jordan’s Person Status Law. When a woman or girl is raped by someone other than her husband, the charges can be dropped if the perpetrator agrees to marry the victim and stay married for three years. At WI-HER, we recognize that unequal power relations and traditional perceptions—including perceptions of masculinity—lead to GBV. At WI-HER, we take a human rights approach to combating GBV. Our first step in addressing GBV is to understand the local beliefs, cultural norms, and the context in which the violence is occurring for us to be able to develop culturally-sensitive and relevant strategies to prevent and respond to GBV. We work to sensitize communities to the harmful effects of GBV on individuals and its detrimental impact on families and communities. This includes ensuring that women and girls, as well as men and boys, are actively involved in prevention efforts. A successful strategy to prevent GBV in a community should engage all stakeholders including judges, policymakers, government officials, law enforcement, media, health care providers, educators, and community workers to educate these stakeholders on the causes and consequences of GBV. By integrating knowledge management techniques into all quality improvement activities, we are able to identify and capture best practices in GBV prevention and treatment methods, and disseminate this information for program interventions. As a partner to the USAID Applying Science to Strengthen and Improve Systems (ASSIST) project, we integrate GBV prevention and response strategies into all our gender integration work to avoid unintentional GBV against women or against supportive men since they might be perceived as defying the gender norms in society.

Jordan has made notable progress in women’s rights and gender equality in recent years related to gender-based violence (GBV). In 2007, the country’s first large women’s shelter opened, and in 2008, Jordan’s Family Protection Law mandated that certain domestic abuse cases were to be managed by medical workers and law enforcement agencies. In addition, an equal employment clause and a sexual harassment law are now in effect in Jordan. The creation of the Jordanian National Commission for Women and its role to implement the country’s National Strategy for Jordanian Women are clear signs of a commitment to promoting a more equal society.

Yet, GBV persists as a major barrier that thwarts the ability of women and girls in Jordan to reach their full potential. Much remains to be done to close the gender gap and prevent violence. In a recent survey, 32% of women and girls in Jordan reported experiencing physical violence, with husbands representing the majority of perpetrators. Moreover, the majority of Jordanians surveyed believed that physical violence against a woman or girl could be accepted under certain circumstances. Marital rape is not outlawed according to Jordan’s Person Status Law. When a woman or girl is raped by someone other than her husband, the charges can be dropped if the perpetrator agrees to marry the victim and stay married for three years.

At WI-HER, we recognize that unequal power relations and traditional perceptions—including perceptions of masculinity—lead to GBV. At WI-HER, we take a human rights approach to combating GBV. Our first step in addressing GBV is to understand the local beliefs, cultural norms, and the context in which the violence is occurring for us to be able to develop culturally-sensitive and relevant strategies to prevent and respond to GBV. We work to sensitize communities to the harmful effects of GBV on individuals and its detrimental impact on families and communities. This includes ensuring that women and girls, as well as men and boys, are actively involved in prevention efforts. A successful strategy to prevent GBV in a community should engage all stakeholders including judges, policymakers, government officials, law enforcement, media, health care providers, educators, and community workers to educate these stakeholders on the causes and consequences of GBV.

By integrating knowledge management techniques into all quality improvement activities, we are able to identify and capture best practices in GBV prevention and treatment methods, and disseminate this information for program interventions. As a partner to the USAID Applying Science to Strengthen and Improve Systems (ASSIST) project, we integrate GBV prevention and response strategies into all our gender integration work to avoid unintentional GBV against women or against supportive men since they might be perceived as defying the gender norms in society.

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