Zarrouk receives her certificate of committee membership at UN headquarters in New York.

New York – Dr. Najat Zarrouk, a member of the Arab Women’s Leadership Institute’s (AWLI) Board of Directors, was re-elected in April to a second term as chair of the United Nations Committee of Experts on Public Administration, which is a part of the UN’s Economic and Social Council

Zarrouk was first nominated for the position in 2009 by UN Secretary General Ban Ki Moon.  As chair, Zarrouk leads the work of the 24-member global committee which promotes public service by encouraging leadership, good governance and professionalism, particularly in developing and post-conflict countries.  The committee is tasked with identifying challenges, opportunities and trends in public administration while proposing concrete solutions and recommendations to combat issues that can hinder progress such as corruption, financial decline and security.

Zarrouk has spent her career in public service and is committed to creating an environment where there is an emphasis on the value and virtue of service.  In her work, she has focused on making government accessible, especially to those with special needs such as women, the elderly, youth and children, and persons with disabilities.

In addition to her UN position, Zarrouk serves as director of Training for Administrative and Technical Staff in the Moroccan Ministry of Interior, a position she has held since 2006.  Previously, she served as the ministry’s director for legal affairs, studies, documentation and cooperation and as the division chief for organization and liaisons.  Zarrouk was appointed to these positions by Morocco’s King Mohammed VI.

Arabic version (PDF)

Washington, DC – IRI released its national survey of Jordanian public opinion (PDF) (Arabic version (PDF)), conducted March 4–7, 2013, along with its analysis (PDF) (Arabic version (PDF)).  This most recent survey found:

• Thirty-two percent of respondents believe their country is heading in the right direction while 59 percent believe the country is headed in the wrong direction; the main reason Jordan is going in the wrong direction is high prices.
• Curbing high prices should be the top issue the newly elected parliament tackles;
• Fifty-five percent of respondents believe the newly-constituted Independent Election Commission ensured fair and transparent parliamentary elections in January 2013;
• However, only 31 percent believe here is a member of parliament who represents their opinion, concerns or needs.

The randomly selected sample consisted of 1,000 Jordanian citizens eligible to vote and is a representation of the general Jordanian population by age, gender, ethnicity, religion and education.  The margin of error for the national sample does not exceed plus or minus 2.5 percent.  This is the 10^th national poll IRI has conducted in Jordan in partnership with the Middle East Marketing and Research Consultants.

Ghada (center) hands out tee-shirts as part of an advocacy campaign to promote awareness of women’s health.

April 4, 2013 – Ghada Telfah, who passed away this past January at the age of 48, was committed to improving people’s lives in her home town of Irbid, Jordan and to advancing women’s rights throughout her country.  Whether supporting women’s economic empowerment, pushing to strengthen laws protecting women or working to clean-up her community, Ghada gave selflessly of herself.

Ghada envisioned a better community, one in which citizens, especially women, were able to fully participate and thrive.  Through her work with the Jordanian National Forum for Women, where she served as Secretary General, Ghada helped advance the status of women in economic, political and social fields throughout Jordan.  Her advocacy for laws to protect women led to the passage of the honor crimes law, which protects a woman from being killed or physically harmed by her family for alleged immoral conduct; the nationality law, which allows Jordanian women who have married non-Jordanians to pass citizenship on to her children; and the passport law, which allows women to receive a passport without the permission of a male relative.

Recognizing that economic empowerment and financial independence is the key for women’s political and social equality, Ghada also worked to engage women in the economic life of their communities.  She helped women obtain funding for micro-level projects producing homemade goods.  Specifically, she created the Makenati initiative which gave women sewing machines to produce and sell handmade goods.

A stanch supporter of the environment, Ghada worked on community clean-up campaigns and local green projects to plant trees and build parks in Irbid.  Because of her environmental work, the chairman of the Municipal Committee of Irbid named one of the province’s streets Ghada Telfah in her honor.

Through her work with UN Women and the Arab Women’s Leadership Institute (AWLI), Ghada worked to educate women about their political and social rights, hosting workshops and seminars throughout Jordan.  Remembering Ghada, Hasnaa Chehebi, an AWLI member from Morocco, said, “We will never forget her efforts and determination, her strong presence among our [AWLI] workshops and her unforgettable smile.”

Upon Ghada’s passing Barbara Broomell, Executive Director of AWLI, urged members to carry on Ghada’s work.  “Ghada was a true role model and we honor her spirit by encouraging other AWLI members to take up her causes.”

In addition to her work at the Jordanian National Forum for Women, Ghada was a board member of the of Princess Basma Center for Women Studies at Yarmouk University, served as a municipal councilor for Irbid and was a member of the Irbid Economic Council.

Program Highlights

AWLI Board member Dr. Eman Al Hussein speaks with Canadian Foreign Minister John Baird

April 1, 2013– During a recent trip to Jordan, John Baird, Canada’s Minister of Foreign Affairs sat down with Dr. Eman Al Hussein, a member of the Arab Women’s Leadership Institute’s (AWLI) Board of Directors, and Barb Broomell, AWLI’s Executive Director, to discuss of the role of women in the democratic process in the Arab region and the benefits of empowering women in the Middle East and North Africa.  Minister Baird visited Jordan as part of a 10-day tour of the Middle East.

During the meeting, Broomell highlighted AWLI’s growth and the success its members have achieved.  Al Hussein spoke about her experience as an AWLI founding board member and the importance of including women in all aspects of political and civic life.

“We want stability in the Arab world, and part of achieving this is through empowering women and having them be a part of the democratic process,” said Al Hussein.

Minister Baird was joined by Pierre Poilievre, the Canadian Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Transport.

Program Highlights

Workshop participants talk with Said about drafting a polling questionnaire.

April 1, 2013 – Public opinion research is a crucial instrument to make political parties and activists more responsive to voters, assist elected officials at all levels of government in improving their service to citizens, and foster greater participation by under-represented groups and by citizens generally in the political process.

As women in the Middle East and North Africa become more politically engaged it is important that they understand how to analyze and use public opinion research in developing programs that address voter concerns and messages that resonate with citizens.  To assist in this effort, the Arab Women’s Leadership Institute (AWLI) hosted a four-day workshop on understanding survey research for AWLI members from throughout the Middle East and North Africa.  Participants included students and professors, elected and appointed officials, civil society representatives, youth leaders, and advocates for persons with disabilities.

As Ferial Mazkour Abour Hamden, a municipal councilor from Lebanon and AWLI member stated, “It is important to understand how the information presented by all parties is collected and analyzed, and allows us to gain a better picture of opinions of people in our countries.”

The targeted training program was designed to assist political activists to better understand how to effectively use survey research, and to teach participants how to develop strategic plans that maximize their resources.

Notable experts in the field of political research led participants through a series of presentations and exercises, providing an understanding of qualitative and quantitative data. Dr. Nadar Said-Foqahaa, Director of the Arab World for Research and Development, and Muin Khoury, Director of the Strategies Centre for Research, provided an introduction to survey research, working with participants to draft questionnaires, examine methodology, understand data collection and prepare analyses.

Said pushed participants to look at information in a different way, to find different viewpoints from the same sets of data, “The AWLI members are activists, they have goals to reach and stories to tell.  By learning how to interpret qualitative and quantitative data from research and polling, these women now have the tools to tell their stories.”

Dr. Amira Al Baldawi, an esteemed academic, AWLI member and founder of the civil society organization Um Alyteem, which focuses on women’s affairs, shared her own experiences using opinion polling.  She spoke to the participants about how polling and survey research influenced her successful run for a seat in Iraq’s National Assembly, and how she uses polling data in her job as a professor at Baghdad University.  She explained how being able to gauge public opinion can change the decision-making process, or point researchers toward new areas of study.

Participants were also given an overview of qualitative research and focus groups by Tony Sabbagh, owner and Managing Director of Middle East Marketing and Research Consultants, and Ghuyzziah Hegazi, General Manager of Analyseize.

During the workshop participants worked on the development, implementation and analysis of political surveys and focus groups.  Through group-work, participants completed training exercises on drafting survey questionnaires, creating focus groups and analyzing actual survey data.

Participants also learned how to share the information found in political surveys.  AWLI consultant Stephanie Rea, explained how data was used by governments, opinion leaders, opposition parties and political activists.  Using different data types, AWLI members learned how to effectively share their stories with the media, politicians, stakeholders and the public.

Following the workshop, nine of the participants, who serve as AWLI masouls (leaders of AWLI programs within their own countries), attended a one-day workshop focused on how to   share the skills and techniques on using public opinion research with women in their own communities.  During this session, the masouls identified audiences in their communities that would benefit from learning about public opinion research and drafted press releases, statements and talking points that they would use to reach identified audiences.

To kick-off the workshop a Friends of AWLI reception was hosted by Dr. Eman Al Hussein, herself a member of AWLI’s Board of Directors.  The reception featured Her Excellency Judge Taghreed Hikmet, the first woman appointed as a judge in Jordan, and the first Arab woman to be appointed to the International Criminal Court.  Hikmet shared her experiences as the presiding judge in the International Criminal Tribunal for Rwanda and as a female judge.  The reception was attended by workshop participants, embassy officials, representatives from Jordanian political parties, nongovernmental organizations, academia and business leaders.

Program Highlights

AWLI Fellows attend a Macedonian Parliamentary committee hearing on the economic empowerment of women in Europe.

March 20, 2013 – Arab women from Egypt, Iraq, Morocco the West Bank and Gaza recently traveled to Macedonia to discuss the role of women in democratic transitions, policy development and implementation.  The week-long study tour was sponsored by the Arab Women’s Leadership Institute (AWLI) as a part of its pilot fellowship program.

While in Skopje, the fellows met with a wide range of women from the public sector including parliament, civil society and think tanks.  Workshops on research design and policy implementation hosted by AWLI and the Macedonian Women’s Lobby (MWL) helped the fellows strengthen their policy development skills.  Fellows met with Marija Risteska, the founder of the Center for Research and Policy Making, who led participants through a workshop detailing the policy formulation process.  Risteska familiarized participants with research methodologies, with a special focus on developing a thesis prospectus.  Following the workshop, fellows visited the Macedonian Center for International Cooperation and met with Executive Director Aleksandra Krzalovski, who elaborated upon the role of think tanks in influencing policy development.

At the conclusion of the workshop, fellows were invited by one of the program advisors, Liljana Popovska, to attend a parliamentary hearing on the Economic Empowerment of Women in Europe.  Participants were able to hear firsthand about the evolving role of women in transition democracies.  Following this, the fellows were invited to a reception hosted by the U.S. Chargé d’Affaires Brian Aggeler and his wife Angela.

By the end of the study tour, fellows described the Macedonian experience as very relatable and highlighted the similarities between its democratization efforts and ongoing transitions in their own countries.  As a result of this program, fellows collaborated with their advisors to complete research prospectuses and implementation timelines for their own policy papers.

The study tour was organized by AWLI in partnership with the MWL, a domestic civil society organization that’s mission is to promote the increased participation of women in the decision-making bodies.  MWL was the first functioning lobbying group in Macedonia and has championed women’s political, social and economic rights over the past decade.

The AWLI fellowship program is a year-long project focused on developing and strengthening the policy formulation and implementation skills of Arab women leaders.  Fellows are given the opportunity to research and publish a policy position paper on a topic of their choice.  To support this effort, AWLI matches its fellows with regional partners in the Middle East and Eastern Europe to share common experiences and technical skills that will aid in public policy formulation.

Program Highlights

Washington, DC – IRI, the Women’s Democracy Network (WDN) and the Arab Women’s Leadership Institute are proud to recognize March 8, 2013, as International Women’s Day, a global day celebrating the economic, political and social achievements of women past, present and future.

For nearly 30 years, IRI has worked with women all over the world as they run for political office, strengthen government institutions and improve their communities and countries. In 2006, IRI established WDN to empower women from around the world to greater activism and leadership in public life. To date, the Network is active in 61 countries worldwide and features 15 country chapters.

WDN achieves its goals by connecting women to their best resources: themselves. WDN programming connects aspiring and accomplished women leaders within and across regions to foster mentoring relationships and the sharing of best practices, and conducts skills-building trainings to provide women with the tools they need to participate effectively in the public arena.

AWLI was established in 2008 to empower women and strengthen their leadership role in the Arab region. AWLI roots its foundation in the belief that the implementation of democracy in the Arab world is only possible with the integral participation of women in all sectors, including cultural, economic, political and social.

To celebrate International Women’s Day, WDN will host its annual conference in Washington, DC during which it will present its Jeane J. Kirkpatrick Award to U.S. Senator Kelly Ayotte (NH) and Selima Ahmad, founder and former president of the Bangladesh Women Chamber of Commerce and Industry. Members and friends of AWLI will gather in Amman, Jordan for a reception to recognize the day and the work of AWLI members.

Pictured above: Women in Kenya participate in a civic education workshop on Kenya’s constitution. Click the image to see more photos of IRI’s, WDN’s and AWLI’s work with women.

Program Highlights

Elections are a process, which include the campaign period, Election Day, ballot counting, adjudication of complaints and acceptance of results.  The electoral process cannot be separated from the political and legal framework within which it operates.  For democracy to advance in Jordan, inequities in the election law must be addressed, such as districting that does not treat all votes equally.  In IRI’s 2010 statement on Jordan’s parliamentary elections, IRI noted “the system of districting does not ensure equitable representation for all Jordanians.  The over-representation of rural districts is accentuated by the controversial single non-transferable vote system [SNTV], thus further diluting the representation of urban voters.”

Reforms instituted under the new electoral law do not sufficiently address these inequalities.  The addition of national list seats (27 out of 150 seats) elected by proportional representation did little to steer Jordan towards the development of national political parties founded on common platforms.  Addressing such shortfalls is needed for a more empowered parliament built on political parties to come to fruition.

Despite this, Jordan’s 2013 elections were a step forward from the country’s 2010 elections due largely to the establishment of the IEC.  The International Republican Institute’s (IRI) delegation, which was deployed in all 12 governorates and observed at more than 175 polling stations, found election officials to be well-trained and knowledgeable about their roles, willing to engage with observers and accessible at all levels.  The IEC took important steps toward establishing itself as an impartial election management body by improving the voters’ list, carrying out efficient candidate and national list registrations, issuing preprinted ballots, and administering a transparent Election Day process.  The IEC should also be commended for hosting more than 150 international election observers in a manner consistent with the United Nations Declaration on International Election Observation and for facilitating their work and the of work of a robust contingent of citizen observers throughout the country.

As noted in IRI’s pre-election assessment report, one area for improvement for the IEC to address is the voter registration process.  While the registration process led to a more accurate voter list, group registration, allowed under the law, lends itself to fraud or to some individuals being registered against their will.

A positive attribute of the 2013 elections was a more open environment for campaigning and public discourse that helped remove previous taboos on being politically active and speaking one’s mind.  Throughout the election process, candidates and citizens were allowed the space to discuss aspects of government and public life that were previously off limits.  IRI also commends the IEC for the provision of one-minute of free air time on national television to all registered candidates and lists.  This provided candidates with greater opportunity to present themselves to voters.

Another important step taken by Jordanian authorities was improved enforcement of laws pertaining to alleged vote buying and other influence peddling around elections with notable arrests of candidates and agents accused of using money or gifts to illegally influence the process.  Nonetheless, IRI’s delegation heard numerous allegations of vote buying on Election Day that were not limited to one region.  For Jordanians to recognize a sustained and impartial commitment to stopping the practice of vote buying, current cases must be fully adjudicated through a due process and laws must be enforced equally for all groups.

In addition, in future elections, Jordan should strengthen rules regulating the conduct of candidate agents inside and around polling centers.  Enforcement of rules against Election Day campaigning outside polling centers must also be significantly improved upon, or the law amended, before the next election, as IRI’s delegation witnessed campaigning in violation of the current law outside the majority of polling centers visited.  An improved definition of campaigning under the current law may be another way to address this shortcoming.  Improved candidate and party financial disclosure regulations would additionally contribute to building greater voter awareness in future elections.

With regard to the electoral framework – the dominant SNTV system – tribal allegiances continue to be the major factor in candidate selection and campaigning, with personality trumping platforms.  The introduction of national proportional list seats may begin to address this challenge, but the number of seats elected by national list should be increased if a meaningful change in parliament’s composition is to be realized.  Likewise, national lists would have had a greater impact on encouraging political party participation if competition on lists had been limited to political parties.  Notwithstanding a more free campaign environment, these factors, plus a rushed election schedule, left little time for voters to make informed choices and did not result in competition based on party or list platform.

With respect to women’s representation, the new electoral law did not increase the percentage of women in the national parliament.  In addition, Jordan’s system of allocating seats to women re-enforces the same inequities between rural and urban districts seen in other areas of the electoral law.  To ensure that more women are elected and serve in parliament, Jordan needs to expand women’s representation and institute an equitable method of allocating women’s seats.

Currently, there is little connection between votes won and power conveyed to election winners due to parliament’s weak mandate and limited governing authority.  A long-term solution to improving the quality of electoral competition, and potentially lessening the practice of vote buying, would be to increase the powers of the national parliament, thus increasing the value voters place on their parliamentary vote.

IRI’s delegation makes the following preliminary recommendations as a roadmap for improving future Jordanian elections.  The recommendations will be further elaborated on in a full report IRI will issue in the coming months.

• Build on the IEC’s good start in election administration by making the institution more independent, with its own full-time staff and direct access to investigative and policing bodies, and allow IEC leadership to serve out their full terms.
• Set future election dates before voter registration begins, and register lists and candidates at least six months before Election Day to ensure the public has time to fully consider their choices.
• If substantial changes are made to the election law, provide a minimum period of three months or more for voter education efforts before the start of voter registration to ensure that voters clearly understand their rights and opportunities to participate fully in the election process.
• Ensure a vote has equal weight throughout the country by establishing uniform guidelines based on population and then conducting redistricting.
• Stimulate party development by restricting national list competition to parties and by increasing the number of seats in parliament elected by national proportional list.
• Establish clear financial disclosure regulations and enforcement mechanisms for candidates and lists that require the public posting of all funds spent on campaigning and the origin of those funds.
• Support stronger judicial and criminal enforcement mechanisms for alleged electoral crimes, including vote buying, vote selling and coercion, financial or otherwise, to influence political support.

IRI’s delegation included representatives from Canada, the Czech Republic, the Netherlands, Poland and the United States, and was led by Gahl Hodges Burt, Vice Chair of the American Academy in Berlin and a member of IRI’s Board of Directors; and Agnieszka Pomaska, member of the lower house of the Polish Parliament and chair of the European Affairs Committee.

The 15 short-term observer teams built on the work which began with IRI’s October 2012 pre-election assessment mission, and included three long-term observer teams that have been deployed in the country since November 2012.  IRI’s long-term observers met with government officials, political campaign representatives, civil society activists and election stakeholders.  They also monitored voting and ballot counting on Election Day, and will observe the adjudication processes and resolution of complaints following the elections.

Other members of IRI’s delegation were:

• Petr Bratský, member of the Czech Republic Senate;
• Christopher Carr, Vice President at J.P. Morgan;
• Darryl Gray, former member of the Canadian Parliament;
• James Hart, former member of the Canadian Parliament;
• Steve Heydemann, Senior Adviser for Middle East Initiatives at the United States Institute of Peace;
• Tami Longaberger, Chief Executive Officer of the Longaberger Company, member of IRI’s Board of Directors and Chair of the Arab Women’s Leadership Institute’s Board of Directors;
• Matt Rhoades, former Chief of Staff to Governor Mitt Romney;
• David Schenker, Aufzien Fellow and Director of the Program on Arab Politics at the Washington Institute for Near East Policy;
• Christopher Tuttle, Director of the Washington Program at the Council on Foreign Relations; and
• David Vriesendorp, Member of the Board of Directors of the Eduardo Frei Foundation in the Netherlands.

Prior to the elections, delegates were briefed by the IEC, Jordanian nongovernmental organizations and parliamentary candidates.  Delegates were also briefed on the rights and responsibilities of international observers, the Jordanian Code of Conduct for election observers and Jordanian election law.  Delegates were then deployed throughout the country where they observed the polling process.

IRI staff also served as observers and assisted in the mission.  IRI staff was led by Judy Van Rest, Executive Vice President of IRI; Scott Mastic, Director of Middle East and North Africa programs; and Jeff Lilley, Resident Country Director for IRI in Jordan.

Since 1983, IRI has monitored more than 150 elections in more than 46 countries, including Jordan’s 2010 parliamentary elections.

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Regional News

November 5, 2012 – Lamaan Sabri Mejlli, a mechanical engineer from Baghdad, recently registered her first civil society organization to advocate for women with disabilities and marginalized women in Iraq.  The organization, which she is calling Save the Extraction Prisoner Soul (STEPS), will focus on support female prisoners and women in mental hospitals.

Mejlli’s goals are for female prisoners and mentally ill women in their communities to achieve social acceptance, to help these women develop social skills, and to shed light on the issues these women face.  To achieve these goals, Mejlli will hold workshops and seminars, meet with affected women and their families, reach out through publications, and conduct research.

Mejlli, a member of the Arab Women’s Leadership Institute (AWLI) since 2009, has been inspired by the women she has met through the Institute, especially those at the October 2012 training in Amman, Jordan which focused on advocating for the rights of persons with disabilities.  This training motivated Mejlli to establish STEPS.  Mejlli plans to utilize AWLI resources to assist in the monitoring and evaluation efforts of her organization’s programs.

In addition to establishing STEPS, Mejlli is also an advisor for the Deputy Prime Minister for Electric Power.  With 20 years of experience as a mechanical engineer and a master’s of science degree in engineering, Mejlli has overseen power plant projects and previously was responsible for the engineering, procurement and construction committee in the office of the General Inspector.

Mejlli also remains active in her political party.  She was selected as a member to the General Secretariat and is responsible for the Department of Women Affairs for her party.  In 2009, she was awarded the Spokesman of the Party Award for her outreach efforts in the community.  In 2010, she was nominated to the post of Assistant Secretary-General of the party.  Mejlli also ran as a candidate in the 2009 provincial elections and parliamentary elections in 2010.

In June 2012, Mejlli was one of four AWLI members selected to attend the inaugural session of the Women in Public Service Project (WPSP) Summer Institute at Wellesley College.  After attending, Mejlli commented, “The sessions were diverse and rich in topic, with an extraordinary level of quality expert speakers.  The methodology behind the summer institute program, which focused on a discussion based platform, was effective for the varied group of women participants who had a lot to learn from each other.”

Program Highlights

Participants of the program pose for a photo

October 18,2012

Amman, Jordan – As activists across the Arab region work to reform their countries politically, seizing the opportunity to ensure full accessibility and inclusion for all citizens is vital.  Members of the Arab Women’s Leadership Institute (AWLI) agree that, “we are citizens first and persons with disabilities second.”

In an effort to promote information sharing across countries, AWLI hosted a policy discussion on advocating for the rights of persons with disabilities from October 11 – 15 in Amman, Jordan.  Participants representing 11 countries from the Middle East and North Africa, which included elected and appointed officials, civil servants, civil society members and youth leaders as well as the disability community, attended the program.  AWLI’s membership was particularly excited to welcome a delegation of Libyan political and civic activists as the program marked the first AWLI event with activists from that country in attendance.

AWLI enlisted the assistance of volunteers Lynnae Ruttledge, a consultant with Mobility International USA and Heidi van Haastert from the Refugee Aid Foundation in the Netherlands and an active trainer for the Eduardo Frei Foundation (EFF), which is an AWLI partner in funding trainers and speakers for AWLI events.

Ruttledge and Van Haastert presented case studies from the United States and the Netherlands on the ratification and implementation of the United Nation Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities, federal legislation, and various advocacy efforts that have led to the inclusion of all citizens in everyday society in their respective countries.  The speakers also highlighted public/private partnership efforts in their presentations and provided skills training on budgeting and financing for programs.

Van Haastert encouraged participants to find solutions within their local community through strategic partnerships with businesses instead of waiting for governments to provide solutions to services.  Throughout the program Ruttledge and van Haastert worked with participants to identify strategic accessibility rights areas that participants could focus on when they return home and encouraged them to seek the support of AWLI’s membership in their efforts.  To this end, Bouraouia Agrebi, a participant from Tunisia, reminded her colleagues that, “The disability is in the environment and not in the person.”

At the end of the program, participants outlined strategic plans which they will work to implement with the support of AWLI staff and volunteers.

During the five-day workshop and to engage the local community in its programs, AWLI hosted a Friends of AWLI reception for program participants, embassy officials, Jordanian political and nongovernmental organization representatives, academia and business leaders.  The event was moderated by Dr. Eman Al Hussein, an AWLI board member from Jordan, and highlighted guest speakers from Jordan’s Higher Council for Affairs of Persons with Disabilities and the nongovernmental organization, I am Human Society for the Rights of Persons with Disabilities.  Lara Yaseen, Director of Follow up for Jordan’s National Strategy and the UN Convention and Maha Al Soudi, President of Women with Disability Committee gave an overview of the progress made in Jordan on ensuring accessibility for all citizens and the challenges that lie ahead.   The event concluded with the personal testimony of Asia Yaghi, Member of Women with Disability Committee and President of I am Human Society for Rights of People with Disabilities.  Yaghi discussed her disability with the audience and how education and opportunity opened doors for her personally and professionally.

As a complement to the policy discussion, AWLI participants met with two local Jordanian associations: I am Human Society for the Rights of People with Disabilities and the Jordanian Club for the Deaf, to learn about their specific work empowering peoples with disabilities to enter the workforce.

When asked about her role with the AWLI program Ruttledge stated, “I am confident that the women that participated in the AWLI workshop will lead the way for a better future for Arab citizens with disabilities.  The ideas being shared and the possible strategies being developed are concrete, achievable and exciting.  I look forward to hearing about the actions that will take place as a result.”

Program Highlights