Amman, Oct. 1 (Petra) -- The Senate Women’s Committee, chaired by Senator Khawla Armouti, met Thursday with UN Women Jordan Country Representative Nicolas Burniat, Deputy Representative Manal Benkirane and Political Empowerment Programme Analyst Raya Mashaqbah to discuss ways to strengthen cooperation on women’s empowerment and gender equality.

Armouti highlighted the importance of the committee’s partnership with UN Women in supporting Jordan’s efforts in women’s empowerment and advancing political, economic and administrative modernization.

She said the partnership extends beyond implementing programs and projects to supporting policies and legislation, monitoring their implementation, and strengthening their effectiveness in achieving tangible and sustainable results.

The committee reviewed UN Women Jordan’s priorities for 2023-2027, particularly gender-responsive governance, women’s economic empowerment, social protection and resilience, as well as the organization’s support in legislation, budgeting, data and monitoring mechanisms.

Burniat underscored the importance of the meeting as an opportunity to exchange views and expertise on women’s empowerment, strengthen cooperation and establish an effective partnership with the committee in support of objectives aligned with Jordan’s three modernization tracks.

He outlined UN Women’s main areas of work in Jordan and its cooperation with key national partners, including the Ministerial Committee for Women’s Empowerment, the Jordanian National Commission for Women, relevant ministries, the Jordan Armed Forces-Arab Army, the Public Security Directorate, civil society organizations and local associations.

The discussion covered gender-responsive governance, women’s economic empowerment, social protection and resilience, along with national frameworks supporting these areas.

Burniat noted that Jordan has made progress in women’s empowerment and that UN Women’s work in the Kingdom is aligned with national priorities. He highlighted efforts to expand women’s economic participation, protect women in the labor market and strengthen their role in emerging economic sectors, including the green economy.

He also outlined UN Women’s efforts to attract investment to Jordan through technical support aimed at creating more employment opportunities for women. In this context, he said a pilot program had been launched to promote women’s economic participation and reduce cases of domestic violence.

The senators affirmed Jordan’s continued efforts to advance women’s empowerment under the leadership of His Majesty King Abdullah II and through the three modernization tracks, particularly the Economic Modernization Vision. They also stressed the importance of continued cooperation to expand women’s participation across national sectors and fields.

//Petra// AJ