Jordan Times
Sunday, March 9, 2008
Jordan marks International
Women’s Day
By Rana Husseini with agency dispatches
AMMAN - Jordan on Saturday observed International Women’s Day with calls to
improve women’s status in the Kingdom by empowering them and eliminating all
laws that discriminate against them.
Minister of Planning and International Cooperation Suhair Al-Ali said this
occasion is an important opportunity to tackle issues designed to empower women.
“We are facing big challenges that are imposed on us in this modern age, which
require all of us to make use of resources and efforts to improve the standard
of living that reflects on women,” the minister told the Jordan News Agency,
Petra.
Last month, Al-Ali said the actual level of female labour force participation is
about half its potential, with only 14.7 per cent of Jordanian women active in
the formal sector.
The minister attributed this to several challenges, related mostly to the way
society depicts men and women and their abilities.
Official statistics released in February 2008 indicated that two-thirds of
created jobs, or 66 per cent, were provided by the private sector, 29 per cent
of which were taken by females. Of the jobs offered by the public sector, only
11 per cent went to female applicants.
Asma Khader, secretary general of the Jordanian National Commission for Women (JNCW),
said this year’s theme, economic empowerment, is part of the organisation’s
strategy.
“We also announce our solidarity with Arab women under occupation because
development, security, peace and stability are major factors in women’s
advancement,” Khader told the Jordan News Agency, Petra.
The JNCW and the United Nations Development Fund for Women are holding a lecture
today on women’s economic empowerment to mark the occasion.
Meanwhile, Amman Court of First Instance Judge Ihssan Barakat praised the
advancement of Jordanian women, stressing the need to communicate directly with
women to figure out their needs.
“Women pioneers in Jordan should focus more on marginalised women, rather than
attending workshops and seminars inside and outside Jordan,” Barakat, the first
woman to hold the position of chief of court, told Petra.
Women make the news
The media marked the occasion by giving editorial responsibility to women
editors and journalists for the day as part of UNESCO’s global operation, Women
Make the News, aimed at promoting gender equality in the media.
Al Rai newspaper appointed Samar Haddadin as editor-in-chief, Ad Dustour named
Aida Tawil, Al Ghad selected Mariam Nasser and Petra assigned Suhair Jaradat.
Meanwhile, Radio Al Balad, formerly AmmanNet, announced that is was giving their
female employees a rest and handing over their posts to their male colleagues on
this occasion.
Investing in women
Internationally, World Health Organisation Director General Margaret Chan says
this year’s International Women’s Day focuses on investing in women and girls.
“Abundant evidence shows that when women are given an opportunity to express
their potential, health indicators rapidly improve for themselves, for
households and for communities,” Chan said in a statement to the press.
“Investment in women and girls not only contributes to socio-economic progress,
but is also an investment in health development,” she added.
United Nations Fund for Population Activities Executive Director Thoraya Ahmed
Obaid echoed Chan’s message, stressing that “it is good to invest in women and
girls, and it pays to do so”.
“Investing in women means investing in families, communities and nations. When
women have resources, they tend to spend them on education and health for their
children, who then face better employment and life prospects,” Obaid said.
Meanwhile, Marc Perrin de Brichambaut, secretary general of the Organisation for
Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE), issued a statement saying this day
was an important opportunity to redouble efforts to achieve genuine equality
between men and women.
“For the OSCE, this struggle has a special meaning, as the 56 participating
states understand that sustainable progress towards security, economic
prosperity, fundamental freedoms and human rights requires the full
participation and empowerment of women,” he said.