Jordan achieved a score of 56.2 out of 100 in the 2021 Regional Index on VAWG. For many years, Jordan has been witnessing a progress in terms of improving laws and services with regards to combating VAWG. These include mainly the amendments of the penal code, adoption of the law on protection from domestic violence, and lifting several reservations to the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women (CEDAW). However, Jordan still has reservations to articles 9 and 16. Also, the Constitution does not prohibit discrimination based on sex explicitly.
Several ministries and national institutions have a mandate that includes the protection and safeguarding of women such as the Ministry of Social Development, the Jordanian National Commission for Women (JNCW), the National Council for Family Affairs (NCFA), the National Centre for Women's Health Care, and the Family Protection Department under the Public Security Directorate. JNCW organises the national awareness-raising campaigns on combating VAWG.
Jordan has developed the National Strategy for Women in Jordan (2020-2025), aiming that women and girls enjoy a life free from all forms of gender-based violence. There is also the executive plan for the National Priorities Matrix to strengthen the protection system from gender-based violence, domestic violence and child protection (2021-2023).
Specialised services are provided to women victims of VAWG in 3 government-run shelters. There are cooperation mechanisms established according to the National Framework for Protection from Domestic Violence. These mechanisms identified the cooperation between the Family Protection Department affiliated to the Public Security Department, Ministry of Interior, Ministry of Health, Ministry of Education, Ministry of Social Development and National Council for Family Affairs for preventing, receiving, referring and responding to VAWG cases.
For more information, please download Jordan National Report