US embassy cable - 03AMMAN8044

UNCLAS AMMAN 008044 
 
SIPDIS 
 
SENSITIVE 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: SOCI, PHUM, KWMN, JO 
SUBJECT: JORDAN'S FAMILY PROTECTION PROJECT WINS UN PRIZE 
 
 1. (U) On December 10, the UN General Assembly President 
will present the Family Protection Project Management Team of 
Jordan one of six 2003 UN Prizes in the Field of Human 
Rights, which are awarded every five years. The Family 
Protection Project is being recognized as "a ground-breaking 
initiative that...helped to lift the taboo on the subject of 
domestic violence and promote open debate on human rights and 
gender equality." Established by the GOJ in 2000, the hybrid 
government/nongovernmental management team developed and 
implemented the project,s "holistic, inclusive and 
preventative approach" to combating the causes of domestic 
abuse. The project has led to procedural and institutional 
changes that have addressed both the victims and perpetrators 
of domestic violence in Jordan. 
 
2. (SBU) Nadia Bushnaq, vice chairperson of the Management 
Team, sees this as an important source of recognition both 
within and outside the country. Calling it "a UN stamp of 
approval," she regards the award as a means to an end: 
obtaining funding from international donors for the 
Protection Project. While the British Department for 
International Development has funded the Project until now, 
future funding is questionable. She states that the British 
government applied for the King Hussein Award for the Project 
last year, without success, and likely sought the UN award 
this year. The Project provided no direct input as part of 
the application process, but plans on holding a local press 
conference after the award is presented. 
 
3. (U) The December 4 English language Jordan Times devoted 
an extensive page two article and a highly complementary 
editorial to the award. The Arabic language press reported on 
the prize, but less in-depth and without editorializing. Post 
notes that domestic violence still remains taboo in Jordanian 
culture, though this prize will likely have a positive effect 
on the Project,s work in Jordan by highlighting its 
constructive efforts to deal with the issue, not just 
publicize it. 
HALE