Amman, Feb. 15 (Petra) -- Minister of Social Development Wafa Bani Mustafa met on Sunday with British legal adviser Sir Paul Silk to discuss political reform and women's empowerment.

Bani Mustafa, who is the chair of the Ministerial Committee for Women's Empowerment, discussed key legislative gains stemming from amendments to the Political Parties and Election laws, introduced within the political, economic and administrative reform process led by His Majesty Abdullah II.

She said the reforms have strengthened the participation of youth, women and persons with disabilities in public life through lowering the age of candidacy, increasing the number of parliamentary seats allocated to women and ensuring youth and women representation within party-based electoral lists.

Bani Mustafa discussed developments in social protection and care programs aimed at improving quality of life for targeted groups and transitioning beneficiaries toward empowerment and greater productivity.

She said that the Ministerial Committee for Women's Empowerment has launched the Women's Political Participation School to enhance women's effective engagement in political life, with a focus on their role in political parties and local administration.

For his part, Silk commended Jordan's programs to empower youth and women and noted progress in increasing their participation in political life.

//Petra// NQ