A national awareness-raising campaign to combat Violence against Women and Girls (VAWG) in Jordan was launched at a press conference by EuroMed Feminist Initiative (EFI), Justice Centre for Legal Aid (JCLA), Children Villages SOS, Institute for Family Health (IFH), and the National Council of Family Affairs (NCFA). The initiative is part of the project "Improving access to gender-sensitive prevention and protection services for vulnerable communities in Jordan", with 4,000,000 EUR funded by the European Union (EU) MADAD Trust Fund and implemented by the Spanish Agency for International Development Cooperation (AECID), with the collaboration of the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA).
The press conference was held under the patronage of H.E. Senator Dr. Maysoon Otoom, who in her opening remarks underlined the importance of the campaign that complements the ongoing efforts in Jordan to combat VAWG by both civil society and government institutions.
H.E. Miguel de Lucas González, Ambassador of Spain to Jordan, thanked in his speech the European Union for its trust in Spain with this project and for its important contribution to the fight against gender-based violence. He also highlighted the importance of addressing VAWG by fostering awareness and encouraging a change in sociocultural attitudes and invited all to be allies in preventing VAWG and advocate to government agencies as well as international actors, private and public sector, for a greater investment on preventing all kind of violence against women and girls.
Mr. Himyar Abdulmoghni, UNFPA Representative in Jordan, emphasized the urgent need to address gender-based violence with unwavering determination. This is crucial not only due to the profound impact it has on women and girls but also because it hinders developmental progress. Gender-based violence imposes significant social and economic costs on individuals, families, and nations as a whole, thereby slowing the wheel of development.
H.E. Dr. Mohamad Miqdadi, Secretary-General of the National Council for Family Affairs, also praised Jordan’s efforts to enhance the protection of families, children and women from all forms of violence, through a participatory approach that brings together governmental and non-governmental institutions, and the country has made tangible progress in this field. In the context of enhancing awareness and reducing violence, the “No Silence, No Tolerance for Violence against Women and Girls” campaign was launched, with the aim of raising awareness, encouraging local communities to take action, strengthening preventive measures, and directing victims towards the services available to them.
The event served as a platform to unveil the campaign's message and goal, and to further the national discussion on the need to raise awareness and change public attitudes towards VAWG. The campaign will be carried out under the slogan "No Silence, No Tolerance for VAWG”, emphasizing the need to break the silence surrounding VAWG. With an aim to enhance access to quality prevention and protection services for vulnerable communities, particularly women and girls in Jordan, the initiative addresses the challenges faced in combating VAWG, including gender stereotypes, social tolerance, impunity for perpetrators, victim blaming, and the need for stronger protection mechanisms for victims. The campaign also seeks to engage local communities in taking preventive measures and informing victims of existing services.
During the panel discussion “Women and Girl between prevention and protection from violence: Challenges and Recommendations”, moderated by UNFPA, experts from the Institute for Family Health and Family Protection Department discussed the importance of enhancing cross sector cooperation to better counteract and prevent VAWG, and support victims. They also emphasized the importance of enhancing effective data collection mechanism. Furthermore, experts stressed the importance of this campaign in contributing to increasing public awareness and changing perceptions and attitudes as a social driver to prevent VAWG.
The event was attended by around 80 participants, including relevant stakeholders, representatives from ministries, MPs, Civil Society Organizations (CSO) and Community Based Organization (CBOs), local communities, Media professionals, activists, influencers, legislative representative, national institutions focusing on topics related to VAWG, decision makers, first respondents (Police, social workers, judges, etc.) and academics.
To know more, contact: Hadeel Abu Hayyaneh, hadeel.abuhayyaneh@efi-ife.org, 00962-770707090.