Jordan Times
Monday, January 15, 2007
PM reiterates gov’t
commitment to revise discriminatory laws
Convention on the Elimination of Discrimination against Women to
be referred to Parliament for endorsement
By Rana Husseini
AMMAN — Prime Minister Marouf Bakhit on Sunday reiterated the government’s
commitment to revise all laws that discriminate against women as part of its
efforts to empower women and enhance their role in the national development
process
The premier made the remarks during a one-day “High Level Policy Forum on
Gender,” organised by the Ministry of Planning and International Cooperation in
cooperation with the World Bank.
The prime minister also announced the government’s plans to refer the Convention
on the Elimination of Discrimination against Women (CEDAW) to Parliament for
endorsement.
Last year, women’s groups in Jordan unified their efforts by organising a
nationwide campaign demanding that the government and Parliament endorse the
CEDAW, which was adopted by the United Nations General Assembly in 1979.
“Despite all that has been achieved, we still have many challenges to overcome
including working to change incorrect social practices against women and
revising and developing legislation related to them, such as the Elections Law,”
the premier told the gathering.
Other laws that needed to be revised and developed, according to the prime
minister, include the civil and personal status, labour, social security, and
civil and military retirement laws.
Baroness Elizabeth Symons, a member of the House of Lords in the United Kingdom,
also spoke during the opening ceremony, pointing out that the situation in the
United Kingdom was similar.
“Talking about these things frankly is key… In Britain, we’ve had equality laws
for 35 years, but we still don’t have equality… it takes patience and it takes
time,” she said.
Speaking during a debate after the opening session, Minister of Planning and
International Cooperation Suhair Al-Ali referred to the prime minister’s
“support to tackle some laws that hinder participation of women — not only in
the labour force but as entrepreneurs.”
“We now need exchange programmes and networks — not just for privileged women,
but we must go to the grassroots,” she added.
The planning minister said one of the most important ways to empower women is to
work on altering negative cultural attitudes towards them that are limiting
their participation capabilities in various sectors, as well as increasing their
experience to enable them to start their own successful businesses.
To illustrate her argument, Al-Ali listed some areas where women’s
representation remains weak. She said women’s presence in the judiciary branch
was only 3 per cent and 8 per cent in political party boards, while the
percentage of female union members stood at 23.
Unemployment among females in Jordan is 26 per cent, according to the minister,
while women’s economic participation does not exceed 13 per cent.
But she also listed positive changes in favour of women, including introducing a
quota for women in the Lower House, appointing seven women senators, allocating
20 per cent of municipal council seats for women and appointing the first female
governor in the country’s history.
Her Majesty Queen Rania, who acted as patron at the one-day event, met with
several prominent leaders who are strong advocates of increasing women’s
participation in the workforce worldwide.
“It is so important to have women of your stature, who have been through these
experiences, here with us today,” said the Queen, as some of the participants
recounted their challenges and strategies as they championed women’s rights
issues in their respective countries.
“Women’s empowerment involves looking at three issues… There are cultural
pressures, which involve changing perceptions; the legal environment, which is
the most straightforward issue; and, creating an enabling environment for women
to work in… The prime minister has made verbal commitments; the next step is to
come up with a plan and tackle these issues one by one,” the Queen said.
She cited the microfinance industry as a very useful tool in empowering women,
which could help promote their economic status and role in the workforce.
“I’m hoping that Jordan can be a catalyst for change in the right direction, but
we can’t do it alone. History has shown that to succeed, we need to work
together…The commitment is there and I’m hoping with your support we can foster
the change,” said the Queen.
Their Royal Highnesses Princess Muna and Princess Sumaya also attended the
forum, which was held to discuss and outline the government’s response to
reports regarding low figures of female participation in the Kingdom’s
workforce.
Participants, comprising senior Jordanian officials, policy-makers from several
countries and international organisations, and senior representatives from the
private sector and civil society, presented their experiences and insights in
areas related to the status of gender equality and women’s economic empowerment.
Other attendees included World Bank Vice President Daniela Gressani, former
minister of equality in France Nicole Ameline and Secretary General for Gender
Equality in Greece Eugenia Tsoumani.