Arab women in media day

By Hani Hazaimeh

AMMAN - HRH Princess Basma on Wednesday highlighted the need for gender equality in the decision-making process to aid the Kingdom’s development.

Speaking at a ceremony organised by the Arab Women Media Centre (AWMC) yesterday to mark Arab Media Women’s Day, the Princess said sustainable development cannot be achieved without equal participation of both genders.

“The media plays an important role in explaining this perspective and encouraging a joint responsibility for men and women,” she noted.

The Princess, who is the honorary president of the AWMC, stressed that partnership between men and women at all levels will help empower women and strengthen their role as citizens and partners in progress.

During the event, 11 activists, including three women, were honoured for their efforts in defending and advocating women’s rights. They included columnists, former news anchors, businesswomen, and academicians.

Rula Qawwas, a university lecturer who was among the honourees, said her progress was an endless journey of giving, determination and challenge.

“I dedicate this honour to the courageous ones who have a dream and work towards making it become a reality,” she said.

AWMC Director Mahasen Emam said as part of the centre’s goal of defending women’s rights, it is conducting specialised training courses and conferences aimed at developing the media sector.

“Over the past three months, the centre has organised several local and regional training courses for media personnel of both genders. These courses focused on the role of future generations in creating a better understanding of women in community development,” she said.

At yesterday’s ceremony, Minister of State for Media Affairs and Communication Nabil Sharif said the government is keen to empower women so that they can assume their rightful place as community leaders.

“Women in the Kingdom have come far in terms of assuming the highest positions in the public sector, such as becoming ministers, parliamentarians and judges among others. They have proved their ability in every position they assume,” Sharif said, noting that the Kingdom’s Constitution enshrines gender equality in terms of rights, duties and responsibilities.

Minister of Planning and International Cooperation Suhair Al-Ali also attended yesterday’s event in addition to women activists in the media sector.

The AWMC, which was established in 1999 upon the directives of Princess Basma to empower female Arab journalists, serves as a reference point for many journalists across the region.
To view JT please click here

The Arab woman journalist day

By; Dema Atiatt

According to the recommendation in the first Arab women journalists conference in 2001,that the center had released the initiative for honoring the Arab woman journalist , because the Arab woman journalist had ruled and participated on the development & consolation of the woman journalist's march .

The center had pinpointed on 12/march in every year " a day for Arab woman journalist", believing in the women journalists' abilities & promotion it.

The Arab women media center had aimed with this honor to support the journalist 's march on the Arabic & national standards through the contract of the media conferences ,seminars . Also, the training courses which have the role to reach the women journalists for the decision maker situation with special effectiveness .In specific , among the fast changes that the world show it.

On the other hand, the center had honored probably 70 Arabic & Jordanian women journalists through the last years . To view on line please click here

But, now the Arabic & Jordanian woman journalist has more qualifications, persistence and challenges for many circumstances than the others .Although the lack of ensuring the chances .

As, the social and material supports. The big evidence of that is the martyrs who sacrifice with theirselves in Palestine, Iraq and Lebanon .So, all of us should give the support for these women whatever they are now …

Pleasant for each Arab women journalists and about for what do they achieve …more rights & implementation "the strategic of journalist"

"The special Jordanian women in 2009"

1.Dr .Rula Kawas.
2.Mrs.Tagreed Al- Nafeesy .
3.Dr.Esmat Houso.

"The journalists who are supporting women issues"

1.Mr. Ramadan Al- Rawashdeh .
2.Mr.Basam Sakeejha .
3.Mr . Abed Al- Salam Al –Tarawneh .
4.Mr.Abed Allah Abu Roman .
5.Mr.Jalal Al-Refaee' .
6.Mr.Youssef Gaeshan.
7.Mr. Omar Koulab.
8.Mr. Mahmood Abo Aubaid.

Jordanian NGOs Oral Statement
Presented to the CEDAW Committee
39th Session – 30th of July 2007- NYC

Jordanian NGOs are:
Arab women media center [AWMC]
Karameh
Arab women association.
Arab Organization for Human rights

FWD by MS. Advocate Nour Al emam

AWMC Legal advisor

As of 25 July this year, Jordan's government published CEDAW in the National Gazette, more than 15 years since the ratification. Although this is considered to be a step forward binding the State of Jordan to the CEDAW provisions still the government has to take further measures to put CEDAW provisions into practice as national law.
On behalf of the four NGOs who issued the shadow report and the 7 NGOs who endorsed it, we address the Committee to urge our Government to consider the following issues:
First, lifting the reservations:
A. Jordan has reserved the right to restrict women from passing their nationalities to their children and husbands and at the same time granting men the ability to pass their nationality to their children and wives which is a clear discrimination between citizens. We recommend that the government should ensure equality between men and women in the nationality law.
B. Ensure the full right of women to choose her place of residence. Jordan government has maintained a restriction on this right by ruling that a woman is attached to her husband. The Jordanian government should ensure equality in freedom of movement and residence for men and women, and lift its reservation on this article.
Second, in terms of adopting a National Strategy to end violence, the government has to:
1-Enact new laws in the Penal Code to criminalize VAW and punish perpetrators.
2- Issue new policies and measures to ensure non-discrimination against women at all levels
3-women whose lives have been threatened by family members should not be held in jail as a form of protection. Instead, they should be secured a place at the national shelter. The Government also has to support and open more than one shelter for abused women to ensure access for women outside of the capital. Further, open the national shelter to receive clients from NGOs working with abused women, so they may benefit from its services.
4- A major effort by NGOs failed to repeal and only succeeded in amending Paragraph 1 of Article 340 of the Jordanian Penal Code, which reduces the sentence of a man who kills or injures his wife or one of his female kin whom he has just caught committing adultery. Article 98 of the Penal Code allows for a reduction in the sentences when a person kills in a "fit of fury”. Under the existing law perpetrators found guilty of committing such killings can receive light sentences in prison. Moreover, courts may further reduce the sentence if the victim's family waives its right to file a complaint about the crime. The law should not support any such excuse, justification, or impunity for violence against women.
Third, new legislation should be enacted to prohibit gender-based discrimination in all levels of employment and benefits, and to establish enforcement mechanisms to file complaints concerning discrimination and sexual assault against women in the workplace. Many women work in sectors not regulated by labour law and therefore cannot enjoy the protection or benefits afforded by the law. Article 3 of the Labour Law states that it doesn’t apply to; domestic workers; gardeners; cooks and those in the same capacity; and family members of the owner of a business who work with him without receiving pay. This leaves women workers vulnerable to multiple forms of exploitation without legal protection or recourse.
Fourth, Article 6 paragraph 1of the Constitution indicates that all Jordanians are equal before the law and there is no discrimination between them. We recommend that the Constitution should indicate equality according to “sex” alongside with “language”, “religion” and “race”.
Fifth, Government should amend the Jordanian Personal Status Law to remove articles that do not ensure women’s equal rights with men within marriage. For example, (1) the legal minimum age for marriage was amended from 15 to 18 for both boys and girls; however, a judge can conduct a marriage for a girl under 18 if it is in “her interest”. This exception should be eliminated.
(2) Guardianship over women under 40 restricts women from enjoying their full rights in terms of marriage and travel,
(3) Divorce laws and procedures place a big burden on women to prove their case and derive any benefit from the law, while men can divorce women directly and without any restrictions. The Khulu law which was issued in 2001 gives women the ability to get divorced by returning their dowry. This law is still temporary because the parliament refused to pass it. We need a permanent law.
Sixth, the Government has yet to ensure equality in political participation. A few women are represented in the decision-making level. A quota of six women out of 110 was endorsed in the previous election of the parliament. However, the government has to undertake new policies and measures to ensure better participation of women in political and public life. A quota of at least 30 % should be adopted at all decision making levels.
Seventh, there is no education and training taking place by the government to affect social values taught to children. There should not be any permission for text books to promote discrimination or stereotypical roles for women and girls: whether by confining women's roles to family settings and traditional occupations, or by reinforcing discriminatory social practices. Rather, the government should change the text books accordingly to promote equal rights and equal status among women and men, boys and girls, in the text books and in the schools.

Arab women in media day [Arabic]

BACK TO MEDIA WATCH