The Inter-Ministerial Committee for Women's Empowerment launched an Arab women's parliamentary document aimed at empowering female parliamentarians and enhancing their role in parliamentary work. The launch took place during a conference under the patronage of Minister of Social Development and Committee Chairperson Wafa Bani Mustafa, attended by Arab Parliament Speaker Adel Asoomi, UN Women Resident Representative Nicolas Burniat, along with several Arab ministers and officials. During the event, Bani Mustafa emphasized the challenging circumstances facing women and children in Gaza and highlighted King Abdullah II's efforts to halt the aggression and provide humanitarian aid to Gaza, the West Bank, and Lebanon. She underlined the importance of involving women in political, economic, and social spheres, noting that their inclusion in decision-making roles leads to prioritizing the issues of women, children, and communities. Bani Mustafa also addressed the region's low ranking in the World Economic Forum' s Global Gender Gap Index, where the Middle East and North Africa scored just 11.7% in political empowerment for 2024. This ranking calls for urgent legislative and political reforms to bridge the gender gap, she said. She also highlighted the committee's efforts to implement constitutional amendments and the outcomes of the Royal Committee to Modernize the Political System. One key initiative was the establishment of the Women's Political Participation School, which trained 336 participants in partnership with the National Democratic Institute. Arab Parliament Speaker Adel Asoomi praised Jordan as a model for women's empowerment, stressing the Arab Parliament's dedication to supporting Arab women's rights. He also noted the launch of the first specialized applied diploma for Arab female parliamentarians, which focuses on modern skills for parliamentary work as part of a broader strategy to enhance Arab women's capabilities across all sectors. Source: Jordan News Agency
