Amman, May 6 (Petra) – The first regional forum titled "Advancing the Women, Peace, and Security Agenda" convened in Amman on Tuesday, bringing together over 40 experts and academics from Jordan, Palestine, Lebanon, and Iraq. The participants represent civil society organizations and observatories focused on women's rights and efforts to combat gender-based violence.

Organized by the Euro-Mediterranean Feminist Initiative and supported by the Women's Organizations Support Fund of the French Development Agency and the French Ministry of European and Foreign Affairs, the two-day forum aims to evaluate the implementation of the Women, Peace, and Security (WPS) Agenda. It seeks to identify achievements, address ongoing challenges, and foster regional collaboration among women-led organizations.

Speaking at the opening session on behalf of the Minister of Social Development and Chair of the Ministerial Committee for Women's Empowerment, Wafa Bani Mustafa, Assistant Secretary-General for Governorate Affairs Ahmed Abu Haidar highlighted Jordan’s leadership in adopting a national plan to implement United Nations Security Council Resolution 1325. He noted that the plan links WPS principles to efforts against extremism and the protection of refugee women, with preparations underway for a second plan addressing climate change, diplomacy, and crisis response.

Abu Haidar underscored national initiatives such as the "Oases" and "Makani" programs for economic and social empowerment, and the provision of protection services to vulnerable groups. He also detailed reforms under the Companies Law and Central Bank regulations mandating a minimum of 20 percent female representation on corporate and banking boards.

He pointed to constitutional amendments affirming the state's commitment to women's empowerment and the enactment of progressive legislation, including the Domestic Violence Protection Law and the Human Trafficking Prevention Law. Updates to the Guide to Combating Violence Against Women in Public Life now include cyber and electoral violence.

Lilian Halls-French, political advisor to the Euro-Mediterranean Feminist Initiative, said the forum was the result of a wide-ranging consultative process. She praised the role of women’s rights organizations in shaping national and regional responses and emphasized their critical insights into the lived realities of women and girls.

She described the forum as a milestone for deepening cooperation among women’s organizations in the four participating countries and an opportunity to assess progress, identify policy gaps, and propose data-driven solutions. Forum outcomes will be shared with decision-makers to strengthen legal frameworks and public policies within a comprehensive peace and security strategy.

French Ambassador to Jordan Alexis Le Cour Grandmaison commended Jordan’s role in promoting women’s rights and peacebuilding, particularly in light of the humanitarian toll of the ongoing violations in Gaza and the West Bank. He reaffirmed France’s support for the WPS agenda under Resolution 1325 and emphasized gender equality as a core pillar of peace, in line with France’s new feminist diplomacy strategy.

The forum features five key sessions addressing the progress and challenges of implementing the WPS agenda, the legislative and policy influence of civil society, and evidence-based advocacy through the 2024 regional index on violence against women and girls and operational guidelines for the agenda’s implementation.

//Petra// AJ

06/05/2025 15:28:25