Jordan Times
Friday, July 1, 2005
'Women's political participation must be established at the grassroots level'
SALT (Petra) — HRH Princess Basma on Thursday
said women's political participation, which is at the heart of socio-economic
transformation, must be established at the grassroots level.
At the opening of the National Conference on the “Future of Jordanian Women,”
the Princess said the event was timely and in parallel with a growing national
debate over the future of Jordanian women.
Highlighting milestones in women's integration in public life throughout the
history of Jordan, Princess Basma said one of the most remarkable achievements
has been the winning of seats by women in municipal councils during the 1990s.
Such accomplishments, she said, heralded women's entry into Parliament.
The Princess also highlighted the problems faced by Jordanian women, most urgent
of which are the issues of globalisation and other influences, which necessitate
that society as a whole, and particularly the youth, arm themselves with
knowledge, determination and a strong sense of belonging to the nation.
She acknowledged that young Jordanians had indeed been up to the challenge and
shown a deep sense of responsibility, leading to high expectations from them.
Senator Mai Abu Samen, who heads the conference's higher committee, highlighted
the support women receive from the Hashemite leadership and the Princess.
She said Jordanian women adhere to the Kingdom's constants and the sovereignty
of the Constitution and work for the security and stability of the country.
Addressing the gathering, Balqa Applied University President Omar Rimawi
highlighted efforts to bolster women's participation alongside men in
implementation of His Majesty King Abdullah's vision for development, especially
in the field of human resources and women's empowerment.
The participants discussed several working papers addressing the issue of
women's participation in public life, and focused on legislation pertaining to
women, their role in economic, social and political thought and future decision
making, as well as women's achievements in the fields of public administration,
judiciary, local community leadership and voluntary work.