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Towards a more gender-equal world

Aug 31,2016 - Last updated at Aug 31,2016

A UNDP review of how laws affect women in Jordan was the focus of discussions of the first National Consultations on Gender Justice in Jordan, with the government expressing commitment to ensuring better legal protection for women and to amending certain laws.

The study was overdue since Jordan ratified basic international human rights treaties several decades ago and a review had to be conducted.

The minister of justice called for more awareness-rising programmes in the field of human rights, particularly women’s rights.

The study came up with valuable recommendations, and the UNDP said the Family Protection Law, Penal Code, Crime Prevention Law, Personal Status Law and the Landlord and Tenants Law are the main pieces of legislation that need to be revised if Jordan is to improve gender justice.

Gender-based violence, laws discriminating against women, women’s limited access to legal justice, political participation, economic dependency, protection from marital rape and granting women legal rights rather than pushing for conciliation in cases of dispute were topics discussed, and speakers did not mince words.

“Gender-based violence is still one of the most dangerous issues that haunts societies and affects women, not only in the Middle East, but throughout the world,” said the minister.

No wonder, in our case, then, since, according to a UNDP human rights and justice specialist, “in Arab countries, non-partner violence is neither recognised nor detected…. Domestic violence in the region is still considered a private matter”.

On this score, the review recommended repealing Article 98, which allows reducing sentences in case of so-called crimes of honour, as well as amending Article 292 to recognise marital rape and legalise abortion in cases of rape.

Recommendations were many and they are laudable endeavours on the way to ensuring better legal protection for women.

The next Parliament is called upon to take these recommendations seriously and address them.

The government should spearhead parliamentary debates on the issues and give full support.

The review did not touch on all human rights, including those related to economic, social and cultural rights of people with disabilities, and racial and religious discrimination, concentrating instead on family protection legislation.

That is fine, provided that other human rights dimensions will be reviewed in due course.

For now, laws that affect the lives of half of the country’s population need careful scrutiny and fair amendment.

 

The shortcomings are known. They have to be dealt with.

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