Jordan Times
Thursday, April 21, 2005
Princess urges women to play active role in public life
AMMAN (JT) — HRH Princess Basma on Wednesday
called on women to seize present opportunities and work to improve their status
in public life.
At a meeting with women activists at the General Federation of Jordanian Women (GFJW),
the Princess said: “The prevailing climate is suitable for Jordanian women to
realise their ambitions, enhance their status in political life and participate
effectively in sustainable development efforts.”
The present environment, she said, stems from the reform policies pursued by His
Majesty King Abdullah.
She also urged a review of legislations and regulations related to women so as
to improve their economic and political status and urged women to prepare for
the coming parliamentary elections.
The Princess, who toured the GFJW's headquarters, commended the efforts of GFJW,
highlighting in particular the federation's success in reaching out to women in
remote areas with projects designed to improve the quality of life in these
targeted communities.
GFJW President Anas Saket briefed the Princess on the programmes and future
plans of the federation.
The General Federation of Jordanian Women is a union of 103 women's NGOs. The
federation is also a member of the Jordanian National Committee for Women and
its affiliate, the NGO Coordinating Committee.
Also Wednesday, the Princess attended a panel discussion as part of the closing
session of the International NGOs Training and Research Centre (INTRAC)
Conference on “Civil Society Support: Is Community Development the Way Forward?”
During the session, which was chaired by Alan Fowler from the University of
KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa, around 80 participants from 34 countries discussed
key factors in community development that contribute to the strengthening of
civil society. Debates revolved around the following issues: Community
development and governance; impact of community development on gender relations;
local level work on rights and advocacy; and community development and service
delivery — building blocks for civil society.
Princess Basma said the three-day conference provided many opportunities for the
participants to learn from each other about how “to pursue the vision of a more
equitable and inclusive development process for all our regions.”
The international gathering, which Princess Basma opened on Monday, was hosted
by the Jordan Hashemite Fund for Human Development at the Queen Zein Al Sharaf
Institute for Development.
According to Brian Pratt, INTRAC's Executive Director, a report will be
published next week to include the views of all the participants, as well as a
general agreement about the way forward to support civil society.