Irbid, Jan. 18 (Petra) - The "Let’s Participate, Let’s Join a Party" initiative, in partnership with Yarmouk University and the Irbid Development Corporation, on Sunday organized a conference titled "Jordanian Women: A Fundamental Pillar of the Comprehensive National Modernization Project." Speaking while patronizing the conference, MP Ahmad Safadi said supporting and empowering Jordanian women is a central focus of His Majesty King Abdullah II. Since the beginning of his reign, he said, women have been allocated quota seats in parliament since 2003, followed by further steps that enabled women to assume key leadership positions in the Jordanian state, where they demonstrated competence and capability in all posts they held.

Safadi added that Jordanian women have proven their high ability to manage public affairs thanks to royal support, noting that with the launch of the second centennial of the state, His Majesty initiated a major national project to modernize the political, economic, and administrative tracks, aimed at expanding popular participation in decision-making and achieving comprehensive development goals.

For her part, Vice President of Yarmouk University Ruba Bataineh said the conference represents an important dialogue platform to rethink the role of Jordanian women as a national force for change, not merely as a group targeted for empowerment, but through transforming the outputs of political modernization into actual practices within political parties, elected councils, and decision-making positions, in a way that entrenches an advanced Jordanian model of balanced and fair political participation.

Former Minister of Public Works Mohammad Obaidat said the aware citizen is a partner to the state, which has achieved a proactive balance between security and democracy, including its foresight in establishing the Royal Committee to Modernize the Political System. He said this process produced a set of legislative frameworks highlighted by the trilogy of constitutional amendments, the Election Law, and the Political Parties Law, which he described as the main incubator for a prosperous future for the country and a framework for women’s participation in public life.

MP Abdul Nasser Khasawneh stressed the importance of building on national efforts to advance the status of women through cooperation among civil society institutions, noting that Jordan has achieved significant milestones as it moves toward a future full of achievements for Jordanian women.

Former senator Amena Zoubi said Jordanian women have played an important role in the modernization process in Jordan, particularly with regard to political parties. Over the years, she said, Jordan has witnessed gradual progress in women’s rights, with tangible advances in increasing women’s participation in political life and engagement in political parties.

Director of the Princess Basma Center for Jordanian Women’s Studies at Yarmouk University Batoul Al Muhaisen said Jordanian women have historically demonstrated their capacity for leadership, institutional work, and contribution to public affairs, but that the real challenge today lies in moving from symbolic representation to genuine influence on policies and decisions.

Initiative head Saif Al-Islam Bani Mustafa said the political track is the cornerstone of the comprehensive modernization vision, as it constitutes the natural entry point for expanding popular participation and strengthening genuine representation in public life through building effective and influential political parties capable of competing on the basis of programs rather than individuals and ideas rather than slogans.

//Petra// AF