Amman, Sept 2 (Petra) -- Lower House Speaker Mazen Qadi called for a partnership with UN Women in supporting Jordan's efforts to empower women and expand their political, economic and social participation.

Speaking during a meeting with Executive Director of UN Women Sima Bahous, Qadi applauded her role and Jordanian and international expertise in development and women's affairs.

Women made significant progress within Jordan's political modernization system, particularly in the 20th Lower House of Parliament, where their representation reached 27 lawmakers, the highest female parliamentary participation in the Kingdom's legislative history, noted Qadi.

He urged wider women's presence in political parties, developing training programs for young female leaders, and supporting their participation at the governorate and municipal levels to boost their influence in public life.

The Lower House head underscored the need to step up efforts to raise women's economic participation in line with the national Economic Modernization Vision's goals.

Bahous said UN Women's work is focused on four main pillars: political and leadership participation, economic justice and participation, protection from violence, and women, peace and security.

She spoke of the importance of a precise, comprehensive national database on women and the use of statistics in shaping policies and budgets, measuring progress and identifying gaps, stressing women's role in social cohesion, conflict prevention and peace-building, particularly in refugee host communities.

//Petra// NQ