Women MPs claim ‘verbal abuse’ during debate on gender-based violence bill

AMMAN — A Lower House MP was forced to apologise after claiming that women had “wrecked our society”, during one of two legislative sessions held on Tuesday, which saw lawmakers approve the civil aviation bill and discuss articles included in the domestic violence protection bill.

During the first session, MPs discussed the civil aviation draft amendments made by the Public Services and Transportation Committee, before approving it with minor amendments.

The second legislative session saw a heated discussion, and what MP Dima Tahboub (Amman, 3rd District) referred to as “verbal abuse” against women lawmakers.

“We are discussing a bill to protect women and children, yet we are witnessing verbal abuse under the Dome,” said Tahboub.

Tahboub was among other women MPs who expressed their anger and demanded an apology after MP Hosni Sheyyab (Irbid, 3rd District) said “women are the only thing that wrecked our society”.

Sheyyab offered his apologies after Lower House Speaker Atef Tarawneh instructed him to do so. Sheyyab stated: “I apologise; I was betrayed by my own words.”

Lawmakers were in disagreement over the domestic violence bill, with some describing it as “unfit for our society and values”, while other MPs described it as a “a crucial step towards social reform”.

Mahmoud Titi (Irbid, 1st District) said “not all laws imported from the West are fit to be implemented in our society,” while Amman 2nd District representative Yihya Saud claimed that laws challenging domestic and gender-based violence are Western “imports”, suggesting that those supporting such bills are motivated by financial rewards from foreign parties.

“We all know these laws are imported. The French dress and the American dress do not fit. Even if the government received 40 or 50 million, we should not accept a law that disrupts our society”, Saud said.

Lower House Speaker Tarawneh responded: “These laws are modern laws, and, as a nation, we have preceded other nations in their implementation.”

Saud Abu Mahfouz (Zarqa, 1st District) supported the bill to protect the Jordanian family, saying that “we have a million and quarter families in Jordan, and we are witnessing family disintegration”.

While head of the Women and Family Affairs Committee, Deputy Reem Abu Dalbouh (Mafraq) said “this is a preventive law and it does not replace the Jordanian penal code”.

For his part Minister of Social Development, Wajih Azaizeh said “the vital point of this law is to regulate the work of family protection bodies and entities”.

Meanwhile, MP Khalil Atiyeh (Amman, 1st District) adopted a memorandum signed by 28 MPs pleading to speed up the legislative process of the Zakat Law since it is still in the hands of the Opinion and Legislation Bureau.

The session was adjourned as MPs are set to meet on Sunday for another two legislative sessions.