US embassy cable - 02AMMAN5996

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 AMMAN 005996 
 
SIPDIS 
 
PLEASE PASS TO APRIL PALMERLEE, G/IWI 
 
E.O. 12958: DECL: 10/14/2012 
TAGS: PHUM, PGOV, JO 
SUBJECT: SPECIAL COORDINATOR FOR WOMEN'S ISSUES VISITS 
JORDAN 
 
REF: A. AMMAN 05908 
     B. AMMAN 05922 
 
Classified By: DEPUTY CHIEF OF MISSION GREGORY L. BERRY: 1.5 (b) and (d 
). 
 
1.  (C) SUMMARY.  April Palmerlee, Special Coordination for 
International Women's Issues, visited Jordan Oct 5-8 for the 
recent NEA Economic Officers Conference.  During her visit, 
Palmerlee made a site visit to a social services center in 
Zarqa and met with a GOJ human rights official and a local 
human rights activist. END SUMMARY 
 
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FAMILY GUIDANCE AND AWARENESS CENTER 
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2.  (U) On October 7, Palmerlee and poloff visited the Family 
Guidance and Awareness Center in Zarqa.  Director Nadia 
Bushnaq, a long-time embassy contact, gave Palmerlee a tour 
of the facilities.  Bushnaq has 25 years experience as a 
social worker in Jordan and opened the Center in Zarqa four 
years ago (note: Bushnaq also ran for parliament in 1993, but 
was unsuccessful).  The Center provides a range of services 
(mostly to women), such as guidance on how to cope with 
spousal abuse and raising children in poverty.  She has 
psychologists and legal counsel on site and operates a 
hotline.  Bushnaq has a total of 40 employees, half of whom 
are "field workers" performing outreach services throughout 
Jordan.  An AID funded family planning physician regularly 
meets women at the Center.  The Center currently receives 
funding from the EU, the UN, the GOJ, several European 
governments and the Canadian government.  Most recently, the 
GOJ gave the Center a 40,000 USD grant to purchase a building 
for internet classes, meetings, and other activities, such as 
sewing and preparing foodstuffs.  Bushnaq's latest planned 
projects include a children's center in Zarqa and a women's 
shelter.  She has received considerable media coverage for 
her efforts, including a recent 40 minute interview on JTV. 
 
3.  (U)  Palmerlee met with several women at the Center, most 
of whom were victims of spousal abuse and/or living in 
poverty.  Many of these women credited Bushnaq with helping 
them to get back on their feet. One woman told of how her 
husband abandoned her and left her to raise four children, 
all of whom were able to complete college and become 
successful people.  "I could not have done this without 
Nadia's help," she said. 
 
4. (U) The Center is currently developing its internet 
classroom.  Bushnaq said that the GOJ and several local 
companies have contracts with the Center to provide internet 
instruction.  The Center also provides poor women (and men) 
with the opportunity to take classes for a small fee (which 
can be waived for needy students).  The Center also teaches 
women how to sew and produce foodstuffs, and their products 
are marketed and sold by the center.  Bushnaq says that 
teaching abused or neglected women marketable skills raises 
their self esteem and ultimately empowers them. 
 
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PALMERLEE MEETS WITH NANCY BAKIR, 
HUMAN RIGHTS ADVISOR TO THE PRIME MINISTRY 
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5. (C) Palmerlee had lunch with Nancy Bakir, Human Rights 
Advisor to the Prime Ministry.  Bakir has been working for 
the GOJ in various capacities for more than 20 years. 
Currently, she is organizing the forthcoming first ladies' 
conference in Amman, which will be held in early November and 
will include approximately ten first ladies from the region. 
Palmerlee discussed the issue of honor killings with Bakir 
(reftel a).  Bakir agreed with Palmerlee that honor killings 
are a serious matter but noted that societal attitudes are 
improving and that the Jordanian media now regularly report 
on honor killings.  The two agreed that more effort needs to 
be made to empower women in the political and business 
arenas. 
 
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SA'EDA KILANI, HUMAN RIGHTS ACTIVIST, COMMENTS 
ON MALE ATTITUDES TOWARDS WOMEN IN THE MIDDLE EAST 
--------------------------------------------- ----- 
 
6. (C) Palmerlee also met with Sa'eda Kilani, a local human 
rights advocate.  Kilani is currently working on a book that 
analyzes the phenomenon of the Egyptian soap opera hero 
portrayed in "Haj al Mutamudawally".  Mutamudawally, Kilani 
explains, has become an icon for Arab men throughout the 
region.  He is the prototype "magnanimous polygamist," able 
to attract women from every social class and background -- at 
all times above criticism for his behavior.  Kilani notes 
that men in the region look up to him and that this, in her 
view, is instructive on the general attitude that men in the 
region have toward women.  "He is who they want to be," 
Kilani said, although she conceded that in Jordan only 8 
percent of men are polygamists. 
7. (C) On human rights generally, Kilani commented that, 
"although we have a constitution here it is qualified 
significantly, and there is no 'ground floor' of human 
rights," such as provided by the US Constitution to 
Americans.  That said, Kilani believes the GOJ is generally 
interested in the advancement of women's issues and rights in 
Jordan.  With regard to honor killings (reftel a), Kilani 
said that people had become confused between laws with regard 
to honor killings and "crimes of passion," and that, in her 
opinion, the GOJ should do more to clarify the differences. 
Kilani said that the fact that some Jordanian women live in 
fear of being killed by their husband or close family member 
is tragic, and noted efforts of Royal Family members (in 
particular Prince Ali) to address the issue.  "The Royal 
Court, in general, is quite supportive of women's rights," 
Kilani said 
 
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COMMENT 
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8. (C)  Bushnaq's center is one of the most successful social 
services center in Jordan and has received funding from many 
international sources, including the USG.  On women's issues 
in general, we note the Queen's meeting with DAS Elizabeth 
Cheney (reftel b) as well as the GOJ's recent pledge to move 
forward on a legal framework through which honor crimes can 
be better addressed (reftel a). 
GNEHM