In Jordan, the women’s movement has achieved important victories. The country adopted a National Action Plan on UNSC resolution 1325. Laws have also been changed to ensure rapists can no longer escape punishment by marrying their victim. Men are no longer excused for murdering female relatives in “fits of rage provoked by the victim’s actions.”

Despite these successes, several major obstacles remain. Legal discrimination against women persists in inheritance cases. Religious courts still tend to side with husbands in divorce and custody disputes. They have also condoned child marriage of girls as young as 15.

Only prison protects against violence

It is still hard for women who have been subjected to violence to report. Many women cannot leave their husbands for practical reasons and seek refuge in prisons, often with their children, where they can spend several years.

Victims of violence voluntarily go to prison to avoid. This should be the perpetrator, not the victim, who is punished. Reporting violence and abuse remains difficult for women, worsening the situation.

Women hindered from working

Patriarchal norms in Jordan restrict women’s lives and rights in many ways. Many women are educated but are prevented from working due to beliefs that women should not work and the lack of childcare. Without their own income, they cannot lead independent lives. Divorced women, widows, and older women are particularly vulnerable. Becoming financially independent remains a challenge for Jordanian women: just 33 per cent of them hold jobs.

Shrinking space for the women’s movement

There are women in Jordan’s parliament, but they are far too few, only 15 per cent. One way for women to gain influence in Jordanian society has been through various organisations, but the space for the women’s movement is now shrinking. Conservative values are gaining ground, and there is great suspicion against anyone working for human rights.

Despite relatively advanced quotas to ensure women’s participation, recent elections saw worryingly low voter turnout among women. At certain levels, women made up as little as 1 per cent of candidates running for office.

Women vulnerable in refugee camps

Many Palestinian and Syrian women in Jordan are particularly vulnerable. More than 740,000 Syrian refugees live in the country. Lack of money forces them into human trafficking and prostitution. Women work as maids under slave-like conditions. Child marriages are increasing as impoverished families seek protection for their daughters and one less mouth to feed. Until recently, they had very little economic opportunity; now, Jordan is taking steps to help Syrians access formal employment. Our partner organisations work in and around the large refugee camps to change this.