AMMAN — Chairman of the board of commissioners of the Independent Election Commission (IEC) Musa Maaytah on Saturday said that his entity strives to ensure empowerment and equal opportunities for Jordanian women in political life.

 

Musa’s remarks were made during the launch of the Women Empowerment Unit at the IEC in cooperation with UN Women.

 

The launching event came on the sidelines of a one-day conference titled “Women’s Engagement in Elections and Political Parties” that was held in Amman.

 

The IEC chief stressed that women’s empowerment and equal opportunities for women and men in all domains will be the slogan for the forthcoming period.

 

“The IEC also seeks to develop women and youth’s roles in the political process and the political parties based on the vision of His Majesty King Abdullah and the Jordanian government,” Maaytah added.

 

During the opening of the Second Ordinary Session of the 19th Parliament, King Abdullah touched on the political modernisation track, “which aims to ensure broader popular participation in policy- and decision-making through platform-based political parties”.

 

The King pointed out that the economic modernisation track seeks to improve the standard of living for citizens and provide job and investment opportunities based on strategic efforts, to revitalise all productive sectors and enable economic recovery.

 

“We want this modernisation to serve our development goals, empower youth and women, and contribute to finding new leadership that revitalises state institutions and actively contributes to the House of Representatives and future governments,” King Abdullah stressed.

 

In regard to women’s labour participation which remains low, Maaytah said that “we need to ensure proper training for women to reach decision-making positions so that they can work on the laws that would help them reach their economic independence”.

 

He also said that the government is in the process of developing the school curricula to include “civil and national material that would focus on the role of the political parties, respecting others, dialogue, as well as cultural, religious and nationalistic diversities”.

 

“We want to create a dynamic and vibrant generation that will be able to face local and international obstacles and be able to achieve the vision of the King and the Jordanian state,” Maaytah added.

 

Also addressing the gathering, UN Women Jordan Representative Nicholas Burniat praised the Kingdom’s efforts in empowering women at all levels.

 

The UN official stressed that his organisation is ready and will support the IEC in its work that aims to empower women in Jordan.

 

Meanwhile, IEC member Abeer Dababneh delivered a briefing on the new unit, stating that the entire IEC board supported the idea, “which reflects the board’s true commitment towards women and human rights causes in Jordan”.