Working with the Canadian Government to empower the women of WANA

17/1/15 – Amman, Jordan: The WANA Institute will embark on a unique and ambitious women’s legal empowerment project, thanks to the generosity of the Canadian Department of Foreign Affairs, Trade and Development and the Canada Fund for Local Initiatives. The project, titled “Strengthening Women’s Legal Empowerment: Building an evidence base and mobilising changemakers”, aims to enable civil society and other key actors in Jordan with the knowledge, skills and tools to develop more effective legal empowerment strategies and policy.

“In Jordan, as in much of the region, the justice system does not afford equal opportunity and legal protection to large segments of the female population,” WANA Institute Executive Director, Dr Erica Harper explained.

“This leaves women vulnerable to rights violations, widespread discrimination and impediments to accessing the justice system. Such exclusion is harmful and has proven negative implications for economic growth, livelihoods, social equity and stability,” Dr Harper said.

While there is significant work being done in Jordan on the reform and strengthening of the formal justice sector, less attention is paid to the important role of civil society groups. Such organisations are typically the principal support for women seeking to address rights violations, as they are affordable, accessible and usually culturally acceptable. The WANA Institute has identified that these organisations often lack strong programme design, implementation and evaluation skills in key areas.

The project, which begins in December 2014, will involve a scholarly interpretation of Islamic jurisprudence from a gender perspective on custody, violence against women, inheritance, labour and property rights. The project will culminate in February 2015 with a conference and training workshop for lawyers and civil society groups designed to put the Islamic interpretations into action through strategic litigation, advocacy and awareness raising campaigns.

For more information on the project or to register as a participant at the conference, visit www.wanainstitute.org.

Media Contact
Julia O’Brien, Head of Communications
+1 (917) 392 6957
jobrien@majliselhassan.org

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