Jordan shares the world today, Thursday, in the celebration of the International Day for the Elimination of Violence against Women, which falls on the twenty-fifth of November of each year, on this day, the 16 Days of Activism Against Gender-Based Violence campaign begins, under the slogan "Let’s Make the World Orange: ‘End Violence against Women Now!’ It culminates in the International Human Rights Day, corresponding to December 10, which the celebration of this day aims to provide an opportunity for individuals and groups to take action and draw attention to the urgent need to end violence against women and girls.
The United Nations defines violence against women as “any act of gender-based violence that results in, or is likely to result in, physical, sexual or psychological harm or suffering to women, including threats of such acts, coercion or Arbitrary deprivation of liberty, whether this occurs in public or private life.
The Secretary-General of the Higher Population Council, Dr. Abla Amawi, confirmed in a press statement on the occasion that the Council attaches special importance to this occasion, based on its interest in human rights and in fulfillment of Article 3 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, which states that “everyone has the right to life, liberty and security of his person.”The council’s strategic goals are also linked to the sustainable development goals, especially the fifth goal “Achieving gender equality and empowering all women and girls,” and the tenth goal “reducing inequality within and among countries.” In addition, the council is an essential component in setting policies and strategies related to population and development Including those related to women, and supporting decision-making to reach the well-being of Jordanian society.
Amawi pointed out that the data of the Jordan Book in Figures 2020 issued by the Department of Statistics indicate that during the year 2020, the percentage of women aged fifteen years and over who were previously married and who were subjected to physical, sexual or psychological violence from the current or previous consort amounted to 20.4%.
She also added that the results of the Population and Family Health Survey for the year (2017-2018) indicated that 21% of the previously married women aged (15-49 years) had experienced physical violence at least once since they were 15 years old, and 14 % were subjected to physical violence during the 12 months preceding the survey, and 2% were exposed to this type of violence during pregnancy.
In the field of sexual violence, the results of the survey showed that 5% of the women had previously been subjected to this kind of violence from the current husband or the previous marriage, and the results of the survey also showed that 26% of the women who had ever been married reported that they had previously been subjected to physical violence or sexually or emotionally by their current or most recent husbands.
Amawi indicated that justifying beating women and not asking for help when exposed to violence is one of the biggest challenges facing Jordan in eliminating violence against women, the survey indicated the approval of 46% of previously married women and 69% of all men aged (15 - 15). 49 years) provided that wife-beating is justified, and that only 19% of the women who were previously married and their ages (15-49 years) and who had been subjected to violence sought help, and it was noticeable that 67% of the women did not seek help and did not They inform someone about their exposure to violence.
She pointed out that the Corona virus pandemic had a role in limiting their movement, and the high frequency of tension and practices of violence against women, as the Family Protection Department announced that their an increase of 33% in cases of domestic violence reported during the first month of the closures imposed by the pandemic in 2020, and the department stated that the number of The reported cases of family members killing women and girls of their families amounted to 16 cases during the first 8 months of 2020, and the total number of reported cases of physical violence reached 1685 cases (including 932 cases of violence against women).
At the global level, 2021 United Nations data indicates that violence against women disproportionately affects low- and low-middle-income countries and regions, with 37% of women aged (15-49 years old), also they live in countries classified according to the Sustainable Development Goals as “least developed countries” for physical and/or sexual violence from a partner in their lifetime, and 22% of women living in “least developed countries” experience intimate partner violence, which is much higher than the global average of 13%.
The Higher Population Council indicated in the statement that the impact of violence against women extends to their families and communities, where violence (physical, sexual and psychological) causes serious short- and long-term physical, mental, sexual and reproductive health problems for women, and affects the health and well-being of their children, and this violence leads to high social and economic costs to states, and violence against women intensifies in refugee contexts, as even in stable situations, there is a weakness in reporting violence against women, and this increases in crises, and humanitarian crises and situations can lead Vulnerability on a larger scale exacerbates exposure to various forms of violence against women.
The Council recommended the importance of working to change attitudes towards violent practices at all levels, and looking at violence against women as a public matter that does not belong to them alone, and to involve men and boys to become agents of change. In addition to, the importance of listening and supporting survivors, and raising awareness of future generations about human rights, and all harmful stereotypes.
The Council also recommends gaining the support of decision-makers in supporting the issues of stopping discrimination against women and protecting them from violence, In addition to, reconsidering some special provisions in many national legislations and executive instructions that need to be amended and developed to be in line with human rights principles and to remove the remaining articles that discriminate against women, and working to improving their access to justice, given that the phenomenon of violence against women of all kinds, economic, social, political, electronic, verbal, physical, psychological, and domestic violence, is the third priority among women's priorities in Jordan.
