National campaign to combat violence against women, girls in Kingdom

AMMAN — Under the slogan “No Silence, No Tolerance to Violence against Women and Girls”, a nationwide media campaign was launched on Sunday in the Kingdom.

The one-month national awareness-raising campaign is under the frame of the project “Improving Access to Comprehensive Gender-Based Violence Services in Jordan to combat Violence against Women and Girls (VAWG) in Jordan.”

The campaign was launched at a press conference held at the Movenpick Hotel in Amman by EuroMed Feminist Initiative (EFI), Justice Centre for Legal Aid, Children Villages SOS, Institute for Family Health and the National Council of Family Affairs.

The initiative is part of the project “Improving access to gender-sensitive prevention and protection services for vulnerable communities in Jordan”, with 4,000,000 euro funded by the European Union (EU) MADAD Trust Fund and implemented by the Spanish Agency for International Development Cooperation, with the collaboration of the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA).

Senator Maysoon Otoom, who acted as patron to the event, underlined the importance of the campaign, which she said complements the ongoing efforts in Jordan to combat VAWG by both civil society and government institutions.

Also addressing the gathering with Spanish Ambassador to Jordan Miguel de Lucas González who stressed his country’s commitment to empower and support women worldwide.

“Spain is very proud to have feminist cooperation; that means including, not only all actions against VAWG, but the active promotion of gender equality as a cross-cutting principle in all our actions, recognising that democracy, peace, prosperity, and social progress require the full participation of women,” the ambassador stressed.

The Spanish ambassador praised the EU for “its trust in Spain with this project and for its important contribution to the fight against gender-based violence”.

“It is of utmost importance to address VAWG by fostering awareness and encouraging a change in sociocultural attitudes,” the ambassador added.

UNFPA representative in Jordan, Himyar Abdulmoghni, emphasised the urgent need to address gender-based violence with unwavering determination.

“This is crucial not only due to the profound impact it has on women and girls but also because it hinders developmental progress,” Abdulmoghni told the gathering.

Gender-based violence imposes significant social and economic costs on individuals, families, and nations as a whole, thereby slowing the wheel of development, Abdulmoghni added.

Meanwhile, Secretary General of the National Council for Family Affairs Mohamad Miqdadi highlighted the Kingdom’s efforts in enhancing policies and services that protect families from all forms of violence.

“The country’s policies towards VAWG have focused on a participatory approach that brings together governmental and non-governmental institutions,” Miqdadi stated.

The country has made tangible progress in enhancing awareness and reducing violence, encouraging local communities to take action, strengthening preventive measures, and directing victims towards the services available to them, Miqdadi stressed.

The event served as a platform to unveil the campaign’s message and goal, and to further the national discussion on the need to raise awareness and change public attitudes towards VAWG, according to a press release by the organisers.

The campaign will also work to emphasise the need to break the silence surrounding VAWG by enhancing access to quality prevention and protection services for vulnerable communities, according to the press statement.

The initiative will also aim to address the challenges faced in combating VAWG, including gender stereotypes, social tolerance, impunity for perpetrators, victim blaming and the need for stronger protection mechanisms for victims, the press release said.

The campaign also seeks to engage local communities in taking preventive measures and informing victims of existing services, as per the press release. 

Sunday’s campaign will be followed by two additional campaigns in 2024 and 2025. Both will be organised by EFI, the press statement added.