Jordan joins 'COMMIT' initiative to end violence against women

Kingdom pledges legislative reforms to safeguard women's rights

Feb 20, 2014

AMMAN -- Jordan pledged on Thursday to make ending violence against women a national priority by implementing legislative reforms and improving judicial response to protect and strengthen women's rights.

In the presence of the head of gender equality body UN Women, Phumzile Mlambo-Ngcuka, the Kingdom joined the organisation's "COMMIT" initiative, which calls on leaders worldwide to make concrete commitments to end violence against women and girls, by establishing a roadmap for the future.

"Jordan will implement specific measures to tackle the problem," Jordanian National Commission for Women (JNCW) Secretary General Asma Khader told reporters following the signing of a memorandum of understanding.

"[We will] roll out a national strategy, undertake legislative reforms to improve the legal and judicial responses to violence against women and improve data availability on violence," she added.

Culture Minister Lana Mamkegh also signed the memo on behalf of Prime Minister Abdullah Ensour at a ceremony attended by Social Development Minister Reem Abu Hassan.

On her fist visit to the region, Mlambo-Ngcuka said she "commended" Jordan for its "commitment" and for "taking steps forward to advance women's rights, leadership and political participation in its recent legislative reforms".

The 2012 Elections Law increased the number of Lower House seats reserved for women under a special quota to 15 from 12.

"The new agreement will pave the way forward for both Jordan and UN Women to further enhance their mutual cooperation to address issues with high priority for the status of women in the country," UN Women Representative to Jordan Giuseppe Belsito said, commenting on the agreement.

"We will work together on women's rights, empowerment and gender equality," he added.

Mlambo-Ngcuka, former deputy president of South Africa, called on the government to abolish the much-discussed Article 308 of the Penal Code which states that if a rapist agrees to marry his victim, the charges would be dropped.

"The trauma that women suffer being victims of violence has an impact on the children by creating the next generation of abusers," Mlambo-Ngcuka said.

"When children see one of their parents being abused, they might think this is something normal," she warned, adding that protecting and empowering women is an enrichment for the world.

"You empower the women, you empower the nation, period. Am I right or am I right?"

Sixty-two nations worldwide have so far joined the UN Women's COMMIT programme.