US embassy cable - 04AMMAN10217

UNCLAS AMMAN 010217 
 
SIPDIS 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: PHUM, KDEM, KMPI, KWMN, JO 
SUBJECT: HUMAN RIGHTS DAY EVENT FOCUSES ON GENDER VIOLENCE 
 
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Summary 
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1.  Post sponsored a Human Rights Day event on December 13. 
The program featured a panel discussion of four prominent 
women activists who discussed gender violence in Jordan, 
including honor crimes. The audience of approximately 45 
included activists, NGOs, GOJ officials, local press, and 
members of the Embassy community. Charge delivered opening 
remarks. End summary. 
 
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Combating Gender Violence 
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2. Post marked Human Rights Day with a program on December 13 
focusing on gender violence. The event, held under the 
auspices of post's chapter of the Federal Women's Program, 
included a panel discussion with four activists who discussed 
the challenges of dealing with this highly sensitive topic in 
a conservative Muslim society, as well as several programs 
underway in Jordan to prevent gender violence. Guests 
included Dalia Farouki of the National Center for Human 
Rights (NCHR), Dr. Amal Sabbagh of the Jordanian National 
Commission for Women, Rana Husseini, activist and Jordan 
Times journalist, and Frances Abouzeid, director of the 
MEPI-funded Freedom House family violence program based in 
Jordan. 
 
3. The program coincided with a nationwide program organized 
by Freedom House and local NGOs to mark the global campaign 
of 16 Days of Activism Against Family Violence. During the 
discussion, Abouzeid highlighted some of the activities 
conducted in Jordan during the campaign designed to increase 
awareness about the problem, including the release of a 
public service television commercial that Freedom House has 
funded with MEPI support. The commercial poignantly 
demonstrated how young children are adversely affected by 
family violence. Abouzeid mentioned another successful 
Freedom House program conducted during the campaign, a series 
of interactive plays about family violence held at 
universities throughout Jordan. The plays spark candid 
discussion from audience members about gender violence and 
common attitudes toward women. 
 
4. Dalia Farouki from the National Center for Human Rights 
discussed their MEPI funded program of interactive workshops 
at universities to raise awareness and change attitudes about 
gender violence. She involved the audience during her 
presentation by taking a quick poll of audience members' 
attitudes toward gender and violence. Dr. Amal Sabbagh of the 
Jordanian National Commission for Women and Rana Husseini, a 
journalist, discussed their work to stop so-called "honor 
crimes" through legal counseling, legislative reform, and 
cultural change. They also detailed their efforts earlier 
this year to discredit a popular book that provided a grossly 
inaccurate account of honor crimes in Jordan. 
 
5. Sabbagh commented that the most important link in 
combating gender violence in Jordan -- and the greatest 
challenge -- was to cultivate a change in culture at the 
grassroots level so that violence would no longer be 
tolerated as an option in family disputes. She emphasized 
that reaching out to all segments of society is essential in 
combating family violence, including the religious 
establishment. Farouki noted that the NCHR has provided 
training about dealing with family violence to Ministry of 
Awqaf and Religious Affairs counselors, who often deal with 
cases of family violence. 
 
HALE