Minister of Social Development Wafaa Bani Mustafa called for increasing women’s participation in political decision-making, saying it would guarantee sustainable development, democracy, and achieving national interests.
The minister, speaking at the third annual FemParl MENA conference on Tuesday, emphasized the importance of the event as a platform for participants to network with their regional and international peers and share experiences and best practices in the field of women’s political, economic, and social empowerment.
The Canadian Embassy in Jordan organized the conference, which brought together lawmakers and officials from Jordan, Algeria, Egypt, Iraq, Kuwait, Lebanon, Libya, Morocco, Oman, Palestine, Tunisia, and the United Arab Emirates.
Bani Mustafa addressed women’s empowerment in Jordan, noting that the Kingdom has made significant strides on multiple fronts to ensure that women in Jordan are able to fully participate in public life. She went on to say that in 2022, constitutional changes were made to the election and party laws in Jordan to implement a royal vision for a more inclusive political system that would give women and young people a greater voice in politics.
In 2019, Jordan formed a national team of 17 experts on the issue of ending violence against women in public settings. In addition to the publication of a guide on violence against women in public life, which details preventative measures on the national, parliamentary, political party, civil society, media, and social networking site levels, a hot line was also established for the filing of complaints on violence against women in the public life. The Cybercrime Law No. 27 was issued in 2015 to address crimes committed in cyberspace, and the Anti-Cybercrime Unit was established in 2008 by the Public Security Department, the minister said.
She noted that while the technological revolution has had many positive effects on people’s lives, it has also had some negative ones, and that people may be more vulnerable to exploitation and privacy invasions in the online sphere. The minister urged women in public office and decision-making positions to address cyber violence by blocking abusive followers and moderating online comments.
Source: Jordan News Agency