JANUARY 2002
None Issued!
FEBRUARY 2002
None Issued!
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MARCH 2002
International Women's Day
(Amman) -On the occasion of International Women's Day (8 March), the lives of some women in Jordan "who have made a difference" have been highlighted in the following feature. The hard work of these women contributed to overcoming obstacles and achieving their goals. These success stories do not only reflect a commitment to individual advancement, but to the cause of women in general- Family support, opportunity, education, and a strong belief and will in breaking new ground are the main ingredients that have gone into making these women what they are today-They are a source of inspiration for all woman and hopefully to young girls in particular.
To celebrate this occasion, other women will be speaking and showing what they have done with their lives and focus on what made them what they are today at a special event patronised by Her Royal Highness Princess Basma Bint Talal at the King Hussein Cultural Centre on Saturday 9 March, 2002. This activity is organised by the United Nations Agencies, the donor lender missions and the Jordanian National Commission for Women (JNCW).
Myassar Abul Hawa
Being the first woman taxi driver among 120,000 male cab drivers in the Kingdom has proved to be a challenging job for Myassar Abul Hawa. The 56-year-old widow supports a family of five children and took up driving as a profession in early 1997.
"I chose this field of work and I am proud of it and will continue working in it. My job proves that women can work honourably in any field and be just as successful as men," says Abul Hawa who holds a degree in English literature.
Toujan Faisal
Toujan Faisal was the first female elected to Jordan's Lower House of Parliament. Faisal (52) is a former television talk show anchor and columnist. She attributes her success to her liberal upbringing and its promotion of equality. "I come from an open-minded family that stresses responsible freedom and never discriminates against females," she explains. Toujan, who is a mother of three children, also relates her success to the support she was given by both her father and husband. Shortly after being elected in 1993, Faisal declared that she was a deputy "of the nation, not a deputy for a certain constituency or group." "I have learned throughout my experiences that you have to work hard to get what you want, because no one will give you anything unless you fight hard for
it," she says.
Iman Futeimat
The first female mayor, Iman Futeimat from the western Ajloun governorate, is a key example of what happens when women unite in support of a candidate running for a seat in the political sphere.
Futeimat (33) saw her victory seven years ago as a new phase in the lives of women in Jordan. "I was intent on applying the rules of democracy which provide women with a role in society, and I was fortunate to receive the full support of my family and the majority of the people in my town," she says. "It is wonderful to have won and to be able to work for people. My victory is not for me, but for all the women in this society. I may have started on this new road, but other women are certain to follow," Futeimat adds. The former mayor holds a degree from Ajloun Community College, and taught at a local school there.
Judge Taghrid Hikmat
For over 15 years Taghrid Hikmat was determined to become the first woman judge in Jordan. In 1996 she overcame all obstacles and realised her dream:
"I worked hard to become the first woman judge and studied many cases. I had confidence in myself and in my ability to achieve my goal," says Hikmat. She stresses that "Any woman who is confident, wise, and who has a strong personality can reach this position and be efficient. Such positions will help us transform our roles from that of being subservient to authoritative in society."
Rana Sabbagh-Gargour
Rana Sabbagh-Gargour was the first female professional journalist to be appointed as responsible editor-in-chief of a local Jordanian daily newspaper. "I believe that there is a new era in Jordan that has stressed on greater openness and on giving women a bigger share in society," says the veteran journalist.
Sabbagh-Gargour started reporting for the Jordan times in 1984. She then moved to Reuters and later became the news agency's Gulf correspondent and sub-editor at its regional office in Dubai.
"Sometimes people do not think that women are up to such a job. But we as journalists face the same problems regardless of gender" she says. The journalist points out that "Having been through all these experiences definitely enabled me to become more sensitive and responsive to women's issues."
Huda Nasser
She traded her typewriter to work as a car cleaner and polisher to make ends meet for her small family. Huda Nasser, a mother of two children, explains that "I was desperate and in need of a job, and I came to Amman seeking a secretarial job which I did not like. While I was passing by a car cleaning shop in Amman, I was offered the job by the owner and I took it," the 27-year-old says.
Nasser, who comes from the eastern Zarka governorate, said her family backed her because they knew she was doing something right. "I hope to be an example for women and society at large and to encourage females to take up jobs, even unconventional ones, and let them know that there is no shame in working," she says.
Alia Hatough-Bouran
Alia Hatough-Bouran ( 45 ) was appointed and posted as Jordan's Ambassador to Belgium and as envoy to the European Commission in Brussels in May 2001. Not only is she the first female Jordanian ambassador to be posted, but she is also the second woman to have served as secretary general at a ministry in Jordan. "Women are always expected to prove themselves. But I believe that there are many successful women in important posts in Jordan, and women should be given the opportunity to get more involved in public work because they are capable of doing anything they set their minds to," she sates.
Maha Barghouti
Barghouti is a name many Jordanians will remember for along time. Maha Bargouti achieved the dream many athletes aspire to achieve at an Olympic event: She was the first and only athlete to grant Jordan its first ever gold medal in the 2000 Sydney Paralympics.
She won the table tennis championship and was also named Arab Athlete of the Year 2001.
"I had always dreamt of being the one who would lift Jordan's name high in an Olympic event," said the 38-year-old champ while sitting her wheelchair. Barghouti noted that sports for people with special needs was not as easy as many thought and explains that she overcame many obstacles by sheer determination and the support of her family. "Most families feel ashamed that they have handicapped relatives. Others do not care to get their children involved in any activities, or invest their money in building their disabled children's athletic capabilities," she says. The young woman was determined to win an Olympic medal. Her triumph, Barghouti says, is a message for people to support sports for the handicapped and to discourage families from discriminating negatively against their handicapped children. "My success proves that hard work produces results for people who believe in themselves and have a goal to work for," Barghouti declares.
Rula Qassem
Rula Qassem, the Kingdom's first reported female automechanic, takes a 20-minute bus ride from her home in Russeifeh (west of Amman) to her workplace in Sahab (south of Amman) to sort out unsolved technical glitches.
"There is nothing called a man or a woman in this job. My 66 male colleagues respect me and I respect them and we are all treated equally," the 27-year-old mechanic pronounces. Qassem, who trained for six months before being formally employed in November, says she chose this tough and technical job because she was looking for a challenging profession.
"I always wanted to have a practical, active and different job, as I never liked office jobs," says Qassem holder of a degree in Mechanical Engineering from the Jordan University for Science and Technology.
Hailing from a family of university graduates, Qassem, one of five siblings, says education was a basic and important issue for her family because "life is tough, and one needs a degree to be able to face all difficulties that one encounters," she explains.
"If a woman feels she is capable and has the courage to do it, I do not see any reason why she should not work in something she likes to do," Qassem says.
In'am Mufti
As the first female Minister of Social Development In'am Mufti was instrumental in establishing a ministry with the vision of long-term development rather than one catering to charity and welfare.
"I established the ministry on the basis that it was for the development of people and for them to become self-reliant and to participate in decisions effecting their lives and future ," she says.
"What I value most is that for women to be able to empower themselves with education and to reach top management levels," Mufti stresses.
She was encouraged by the hope and inspiration other women felt by her appointment as Minister of Social Development. Mufti notes that "Women felt that as a women had become a minister this would pave the way for them to became active decision-makers with prestigious positions."
Fyrial Zamakhshari
After serving for well over 30 years as an announcer and producer for Jordan Radio, Fyrial Zamakhshari was appointed as director of this institution two years ago.
"I was very happy with this promotion as I had dedicated a best part of my life to radio and felt that I had the experience," she says and adds that her present job has " helped me gain more experience in the administrative field."
She says that she finds it only natural to assume such a post and that being a man or women does not effect your professionally.
"Women and men enjoy the same qualifications and there is no difference. The only difference in my situation was being appointed as the first woman for this post," says the mother of two children.
She hopes that her appointment will open the door for other women to assume high posts in various fields because " there are very highly qualified women who deserve high posts in many areas in Jordan," Zamakhshari concludes.
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APRIL 2002
Preceded by five children in wheelchairs carrying placards emblazoned with "Stop Disabling Our Children" and "War Manifests More Disability," Queen Rania of Jordan led a march of some two thousand people today to UNICEF House in Amman.
Amman (Tuesday, 9 April, 2002) - Preceded by five children in wheelchairs carrying placards emblazoned with "Stop Disabling Our Children" and "War Manifests More Disability," Queen Rania of Jordan led a march of some two thousand people today to UNICEF House in Amman.
The march was in support of human rights for Palestinians in the Palestinian Occupied Territory , and was organised by the Jordan River Foundation (a local non-governmental organisation headed by the Queen).
Her Majesty was received by acting UN Resident Coordinator and UNICEF Representative in Jordan, Misrak Elias, UNICEF Deputy Regional Director, Naheed Aziz, other UN officials, the UN Women's Guild, and UNICEF staff.
The Queen handed Ms. Elias a letter addressed to UN Secretary General Kofi Annan which calls on "the United Nations to immediately intervene to save the Palestinian people from a policy of systematic killing and starvation."
The UNICEF Representative was also given a "memorandum of appeal" which is part of the Foundation's "Hand-in-Hand with the Palestinian People" campaign aiming to collect as many signatures as possible.
It calls on the UN and humanitarian organisations all over the world to support children, mothers, and families in the Palestinian Occupied Territory and to do their utmost to end the suffering and siege of the Palestinian people. It also calls for providing them with their most basic needs to live in security, stability and peace in their homeland.
Under the scorching glare of the noon sun, Her Majesty told the UN officials that the petition aims to collect much more signatures than the over one million collected for the Say Yes for Children campaign in Jordan-a country of five million people.
"It is critical that UNICEF as well as other UN and humanitarian agencies are given access to people who need assistance as soon as possible," UN officials said, adding that they hoped "world leaders would take up the issue." This was said to the Queen, who was surrounded by female members of the royal family, religious leaders, the Minister of Social Development and members of non-governmental organisations.
Sporting a stark black suite with a scarf around her shoulders symbolising the red Jordanian and black Palestinian "kofiahs" the solemn Queen responded by saying "access is the most challenging thing we face today, providing access to humanitarian workers to get to (needy) families. That is something His Majesty (King Abdullah II) is negotiating very firmly with the authorities there."
Local and regional media then proceeded to interview both the Queen and the UNICEF Representative. The media was given a press kit detailing UNICEF's emergency assistance to the Palestinian Occupied Territory, statements made by the UN Secretary General and major UN organisations on the present crisis there-The procession concluded with songs being sung for Palestine .
Another peaceful demonstration made its way to UNICEF House half an hour later consisting of some 100 school students carrying signs including one hand written one saying "We are humans."
Ministry of Awqaf and Islamic Affairs and UNICEF to Sign Memorandum of Understanding
Amman- The UNITED Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF) and the Ministry of Awqaf and Islamic Affairs entered a partnership on Wednesday (24 April, 2002) by signing a memorandum of understating.
The partnership, signed by the Ministry Secretary General, Abdulfatah Salah, and Misrak Elias UNICEF Representative in Jordan, aims to increase male participation in the Better Parenting Project -a component of the Early Childhood Care and Development (ECD) programme.
Her Majesty Queen Rania Al-Abdullah is spearheading ECD in the country and the National Council for Family Affairs bears witness to Her Majesty's efforts: the Council is the implementing arm of Jordan's Early Childhood Strategy. The latter calls for co-ordinated action to educate all Jordanian families in child development and proper child rearing practices.
Jordan started implementing the Better Parenting project in 1994. The project takes a holistic perspective on children's growth and development which sees children as whole beings, whose growth and development are supported within the context of the family, the community and the nation.
The project has thus far been implemented in more than 100 centres and reached over 16,000 participants throughout Jordan.
On evaluating the Better Parenting Project it was found that there was a need for more male participation. Thus, UNICEF and the Ministry of Awqaf will be building the capacities of 25 master trainers and 200 Imams on proper ECD rearing practices. The aim is to reach 100,000 men with proper ECD knowledge with a focus on men's role through Friday sermons.
ECD is considered to be a pillar for the development of the Kingdom: over 50 per cent of the Jordanian population is under 18 years and almost 14 per cent are under the age of six years.
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MAY 2002
Children's role in Peace and Security to be focus of Global Conference.
Jordan joined over 60 heads of state and government in New York (8-10 May) for a major conference focused on global progress for children and the key role that investment in children can play in building global peace and security.
Jordanian youths, non-governmental organisations (NGOs), and officials met for three days at the United Nations General Assembly Special Session on Children. The Special Session, an end-of-decade follow-up to the 1990 World Summit for Children, presented world leaders with a detailed review of what has been achieved for children and what has not been achieved. The Special Session focused on how investment in children's education, health, and protection contributes to global stability and peace.
The 11-membered Jordanian delegation was headed by the Minister of Social Development. Out of the four NGOs and three youths, two NGOs and two youths have been sponsored by Jordan telecom to participate in this very important event.
The Special Session on Children concluded with the adoption of "A World Fit for Children"- a Declaration and Plan of Action about a new set of global goals focused on children and an action plan to reach them. Representatives from some 180 nations adopted this document which includes 21 specific goals and targets for child health, education and protection over the next decade.
It reaffirms the commitment of government to complete the unfinished agenda of the 1990 World Summit for Children. More than 18 months of consensus-building resulted in a strong future agenda focused on four key priorities: promoting healthy lives; providing quality education for all; protecting children from abuse, exploitation and violence; and combating HIV/AIDS.
National efforts are now essential for achieving the goals set in the document at the Session which should not be viewed as an end in itself, but rather as a continuation of a process which began in the World Summit.
National Institute for Training: A Budding Strategic Partnership
The National Institute for Training in Jordan (NIT), a reputable institute affiliated to the Ministry of Administrative Development, and UNICEF signed a Project Cooperation Agreement in May.
The aim is to ensure that 6,000 youth service providers use participatory and gender sensitive approaches in managing youth programmes in the Kingdom. Training will be based on modules developed by a committee of UNICEF partners in cooperation with a team from the Institute.
The agreement provides 360 youth service providers with 40 hours of training. NIT will simultaneously support these trainers in training another 2,500 youth service providers from the Ministry of Education, Higher Council for Youth, Ministry of Health, Ministry of Social Development, Ministry of Awqaf and Islamic Affairs, academia, and the media.
Monitoring and quality assurance will be conducted by a team from NTI for the training of more service providers.
Regional UNICEF Report Highlights the Situation of Children and Women in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) over the Past Decade.
The report presents statistics on the mortality rates of infants, children under 5 years of age, and mothers; malnutrition; access to safe water and adequate sanitation, education for children (especially girls), adult illiteracy (especially for women), immunization, and reproductive health. In addition, it identifies new emerging concerns for the region, such as issues related to youth, HIV/AIDS, and protection of children in situations of armed conflict, child labor, and sexual exploitation.
Report findings indicate that most countries in UNICEF's Middle East and North Africa Region (MENA) achieved substantial progress in advancing the situation of children and women in some areas. Among notable achievements, the region leads other parts of the world in immunization coverage, especially in the area of polio eradication.
The report also identifies gaps that present serious challenges for children in this region. Challenges include the fact that:
In Jordan, the National EDR report was prepared by a national committee headed by the Ministry of Planning. The report highlights the achievements made and challenges for the new millenium. A summary of the report and its annexed statistical report were prepared by the UNICEF Jordan Country Office.
Using as their guide the Convention on the Rights of the Child (CRC) - which has been ratified by 191 countries - world leaders at the 1990 World Summit for Children set goals to ensure a healthy, safe, and prosperous world for children. They also agreed on a 10-year time frame for achieving those goals, and mechanisms to monitor and evaluate progress. One of these mechanisms is the End Decade Reviews (EDR), conducted by governments, in cooperation with UNICEF and other UN agencies, to report on progress in the situation of children and women over the past 10 years.
The UNICEF Regional Office for the Middle East and North Africa compiled and analysed the information available for the 20 countries of the MENA region, and published it in a report, which - along with around 170 reports submitted by national governments and UN agencies - form the basis of UN Secretary General Kofi Anan's landmark report "We the Children: Meeting the promises of the World Summit for Children."
The Secretary General's report, which assesses the progress made in meeting the commitments made to children around the globe at the 1990 World Summit for Children, is one of the key documents presented and discussed at the Special Session on Children(New York 8-10 May). The latter brought together more than 60 world leaders to review the progress achieved in light of the promises made more than a decade ago at the World Summit,and to agree on a new agenda for the future.
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JUNE 2002
Psychosocial Support For Children Under Stress Workshop
Amman (17 June, 2002)- A three-day workshop on providing "Psychosocial Support For Children Under Stress" will take place at the Amman Grand Hyatt Hotel on Tuesday (18 June, 2002) at 9:30 a.m.
The aim is to build upon the joint efforts of the Ministry of Education and the United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF) regarding interventions for the reduction of psychological trauma on children.
Participants represent the Ministry of Education, the Ministry of Health, the Ministry of Social Development, non-governmental organisations, and private sector councillors .
In 1994 the Ministry and UNICEF started emergency preparedness programmes in schools to establish mechanisms to handle trauma and to lessen its impact on children. Coopertion focused on the training of educators and the school community to be better prepared to provide the psychosocial support to children living under stress. This included the production of a manual for teachers and councillors to help the traumatised child. All schools have received training on disaster preparedness using this product.
UNICEF takes specific interest in protection issues as it is mandated by the Convention on the Rights of the Child (CRC) to ensure the special protection of the most disadvantaged children-victims of war, disasters, extreme poverty, and all forms of violence and exploitation.
Participants will be using newly developed manuals by the Centre for Crisis Management in Norway and national experts who have reviewed and adapted the material to suit the Arab culture. The recommendations of this workshop will be integrated in the manuals.
These manuals have a wide outreach and scope of intervention for the capacity building of professionals working in the field. The ultimate goal is to develop outreach models and interventions that involve the local community.
Signing of Agreement on Juvenile Justice
Amman (16 June, 2002)-To ensure the protection and social reintegration of juveniles in Jordan, the Ministry of Social Development, the Royal Commission for Human Rights, and the United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF) Jordan Country Office will sign a project cooperation agreement on Monday (17 June, 2002). The signing ceremony will take place at the Amman Grand Hyatt Hotel.
The objectives of this agreement are to advocate for the improvement of legislation and guidelines dealing with children in conflict with the law, and to provide legal aid for children who are arrested, detained, or convicted to ensure their release. The aim is to build the capacities of social workers, law enforcement officers, and the judiciary in context to international guiding principles for working with juveniles.
The signing of this agreement will also forge a partnership with other concerned parties working with juveniles: The Ministry of Justice,the Public Security Department, MIZAN Law Group for Human Rights, the Victims of Domestic Violence Society, and Penal Reform International.
In Jordan, children in conflict with the law are exposed to new and more serious types of felonies during their custody or sentence as they associate with other detained felons. Statistics indicate that 74 per cent of all juveniles arrests during 1995-1998 were for minor offences such thefts, physical assault, or personal conduct.
The same above-mentioned statistics indicate that 56 percent of the total arrested juveniles were school students. The most common causes of delinquency in the Country are the ignorance of children of the ramifications of certain actions, delinquent friends, improper child rearing practices, and poverty.
UNICEF is committed to ensuring the special protection of the most disadvantaged children from all forms of violence and exploitation. Its involvement in juvenile justice stems from its conviction that alternative systems are needed for dealing with young offenders which focus on community-based solutions.
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JULY 2002
None Issued!
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AUGUST 2002
UNICEF Launches Better Parenting Evaluation Report
Experts in Early Childhood Care and Development (ECD) from Iraq, Iran and Tunisia - who are currently in Jordan on a visit to see Jordan's experience in ECD - and journalists will participate in the launch and witness real life examples of better parenting sessions -better Parenting is a component of ECD.
Her Majesty Queen Rania Al-Abdullah was the driving force behind the formulation of integrated ECD strategy in the country and the National Council for Family Affairs bears witness to Her Majesty's efforts: the Council is the implementing arm of Jordan's Early Childhood Strategy.
Jordan started implementing the Better Parenting project in 1994. The project takes a holistic perspective on children's growth and development which sees children as whole beings, whose growth and development are supported within the context of the family, the community and the nation. The project has thus far been implemented in more than 100 centres and reached over 16,000 participants throughout Jordan.
The Better Parenting project, as developed in Jordan, seeks to address the needs of parents of very young children (0-8 years) for basic information and support in child rearing, specifically in the areas of health, nutrition and psychosocial development.
The project is implemented by 13 entities including key ministries and non-governmental organisations, UNRWA and UNICEF. UNICEF supported an evaluation of the better parenting projects to seek recommendations on extending the outreach of the project and use it as a nucleus for a more comprehensive approach to ECD in the country. The evaluation was done in a participatory manner, involving all the partners in early child development in the country. The Better Parenting evaluation report which will be launched on Tuesday puts the better Parenting initiative within the Jordanian context, reports on findings and comes up with proposed recommendations: women participating in the Better Parenting sessions recommended that husbands and sons participate in parenting education sessions, for example. This indicated their concern that men's contributions to child rearing be addressed.
International research in developed and developing countries has provided incontrovertible evidence that early intervention services in support of healthy physical, mental, and social development have long-lasting positive effects on children's all-round development, on their performance in school, on their relationship with others, and on their productivity well into adult life.
If your organisation is interested in sending a journalist to cover the launch of the Better Parenting evaluation report, and attend real-life sessions, please join us at UNICEF House on Tuesday at 8:00 a.m. where transport will be made available to Abu Thar Al-Ghafari Committee.
Graduation Ceremony of Participants in
Juvenile Justice Training
Amman (14 August, 2002)- UNICEF House hosted a graduation ceremony today under the patronage of the Minister of Social Development Tamam Al- Ghul. The graduation concludes a five-day training of trainers workshop on juvenile justice: the aim is to build the capacities of law enforcement officers, the judiciary, social workers, and non-governmental organisations(NGOs), on the application of international guidelines for the proper treatment of children in conflict with the law.
The workshop is the first activity implemented as a result of a project agreement signed in June this year by the Ministry of Social Development, the Royal Commission for Human Rights, Penal Reform International, and UNICEF.
Twenty-five trainers from the Ministry of Social Development, police, judiciary, and NGOs participated in this workshop to enable them to conduct and evaluate training workshops on the protection of children in juvenile justice. The participants worked also on adapting a preliminary draft of a training manual to be used as a guide in similar workshops in the future.
Future activities highlighted in the agreement will focus on: providing legal aid for children arrested, detained, awaiting trials and convicted to ensure their speediest release; providing educational and rehabilitation activities for the girls in Al Khansa'a Detention Centre; supporting legislative reform to ensure the utmost protection for children in conflict with the law.
In Jordan, juvenile delinquency gained more attention and concern in the last few years. The most common causes of delinquency in the country are the ignorance of children of the ramifications of certain actions, delinquent friends, improper child rearing practices, and poverty.
The juvenile justice agreement forges partnerships with other concerned parties working with juveniles: the Ministry of Justice, the Public Security Department, Mizan Law Group for Human Rights, the Victims of Domestic Violence.
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SEPTEMBER 2002
Fund Raising dinner by the Jerusalem Forum and the UNICEF Amman Staff Association
Reverend Dr. Atallah Hana, official spokesperson for the Orthodox Church in the Occupied Palestinian Territory, will be the guest speaker and the event will also host soloists from the "Voices of Palestine" choir.
Since the outbreak of violence in the Occupied Palestinian Territory (OPT) there has been a rapid and profound decline in the quality of life for children. Right now, children are paying the heaviest burden as this conflict persists. It must stop.
More than 387 children under the age of 18 have been killed, at least 7,000 children have been injured and 530 children will experience long-term disability.This is a conflict between adults, children must be considered zones of peace and international humanitarian law must be respected.
As the emotional health of children is being adversely affected, education is seen as a means of stimulating the minds of these children. For this reason, the UNICEF Amman Staff Association and the Jerusalem Forum have joined forces to raise funds for the back to school campaign.
Strong efforts are being made by UNICEF in OPT to ensure that as many children as possible continue their learning by supporting remedial self-learning education projects and initiatives to keep children in school. Approximately 12,000 children are continuing their education through remedial education projects initiated in the year 2000.
The Jerusalem Forum has been very active in providing financial and in-kind support to the people of Palestine through various fundraising activities. In August 2002 it established a committee to support Palestinians and needy families, associations, and hospitals in the West Bank and Gaza Strip. The Forum was created in Amman 12 years ago with the aim of fostering love, cooperation and consolidating social relations.
This is not the first time that the UNICEF Amman Staff Association and the Jerusalem Forum work together: In June this year the Staff Association made a financial contribution to the Forum in support of needy Palestinian university students in Jordan. The UNICEF Amman Staff Association, in cooperation with other UNICEF staff associations from the region, has also been active in raising funds for needy Palestinian families in OPT.
The Palestinian Child School Bag campaign has generated many financial pledges amongst which is a contribution from the spouses of the Arab Ambassadors in Jordan, as well as from UNICEF offices in Algeria, OPT, and Oman.
All are working together with a common message: If children are to enjoy their human rights and fundamental freedoms then the violence in OPT must end immediately.
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OCTOBER 2002
National Meeting on Integrated Early Childhood Development
The meeting,patroned by Her Majesty Queen Rania Al-Abdullah, with the participation of the Minister of Education, brought together key ministries,experts and partners in IECD. It highlighted the importance of the early years(0-8 years) on human development as a time when young children face the greatest risks to their survival, health status, emotional and physical growth.
"The importance of the early years on human development can not be stressed enough and this meeting today underscores the commitment of the Country's leadership by your patronage, Your Majesty, and continuous involvement in early childhood development. Under your directives, Your Majesty, specialists have developed both a National ECD Strategy and Plan of Action," said Misrak Elias UNICEF Representative in Jordan.
UNICEF in Jordan has been part of this process working on an inter-sectoral approach in developing comprehensive IECD strategies, through the Better Parenting Project, an important component of IECD, in partnership with 13 governmental and non-governmental agencies.
The challenge faced by IECD today is of sustaining this cross sectoral partnership and of fostering ownership of IECD at the governorate level and the community to take on an active role. The National Council for Family Affairs is seen as playing a pivotal and major role here.
The support of policy makers is very much needed specifically in the capacity building of staff and in allocating budgets for IECD. The steps taken by the Ministry of Education in establishing KG centres in schools attest to the lead role the Ministry aims to play. UNICEF calls on other stakeholders including the private sector and donor agencies to support IECD initiatives in the country.
On evaluating the Better Parenting Project it was found that more fathers needed to be involved in the child rearing process. For this reason, UNICEF recently signed an agreement with the Ministry of Awqaf and Islamic Affairs to use Friday sermons as a platform to convince males that child rearing is the responsibility of both parents.
The mass media also has a role to play in IECD: It has the responsibility of disseminating more information, advocating and socially mobilising the Country around the importance of IECD to both parents and parents -to-be.
A good start to life is the foundation for ensuring children's rights. There is a well-established body of evidence that proves that choices made and actions taken by parents and society in the earliest years of childhood have a powerful and long-lasting influence on the later progress of individual children, and on the wider progress of nations
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NOVEMBER 2002
UNICEF Executive Director on Official Visit to Jordan
Amman (4 November, 2002)- Urging Arab women leaders to make girls' education the centrepiece of the Second Arab Women's Summit, UNICEF Executive Director, Carol Bellamy, said "Educated girls grow into educated women-women who are more likely to participate in making decisions that affect their lives and the lives of those they love. And they are more likely to be healthy, to have smaller families, and to have healthier and better educated children."
Bellamy, who was invited by Her Majesty Queen Rania Al-Abdullah to participate in the Summit, noted in her address to the heads of delegations on Sunday that the meeting offered a unique opportunity to make the voices of women "heard-and heeded-in the urgent drive for a just and peaceful world. "
Queen Rania and the people of Jordan were congratulated by the Executive Director on the recent and important legislative reforms to the laws pertaining to citizenship, passports and pension that were announced by Her Majesty at the opening of the Summit. Bellamy also commended the Queen's personal commitment to human development particularly the Country's promotion of the Early Childhood Care approach for its young.
Such commitment, added Bellamy, emphasised the "indispensable role of women as equal partners in the drive for the betterment of society-and enhanced international consensus that the advancement of women and girls is central to every dimension of development."
The Summit, though, does face challenges. Bellamy referred to the "horrific toll" that the endless cycle of armed conflict, political upheaval and sanctions and embargoes was having on the rights of women and children.
The empowerment of women and the realisation of their rights could be exacted through direct action by the implementation of programmes that would improve their lives, stressed Bellamy. She also echoed a key message delivered by all delegates at the Summit; that there was a definite need to take action to consolidate the equal status of women as leaders in the socio-economic and political spheres.
On Monday, Bellamy visited a Better Parenting educational course for mothers at Al-Nuzha Centre of the Jordanian Hashemite Fund for Human Development. Better Parenting is a sub-component of Early Childhood Care and Development which is considered a pillar for the future development of Jordan. UNICEF Jordan and its 13 partners work on providing parents and caregivers with skills and information to enable them to promote the psychosocial, cognitive and physical development of their children aged 0-8 years.
Later on in the day, the Executive Director had the chance to speak to young people who have worked closely with UNICEF and the Princess Basma Youth Resource Centre. Youths at the Centre spoke about their experiences and how the joint project had effected their lives. In addition, youth, who had been trained as peer educators, described their work and contributions in helping to design life skills modules and the challenges they faced.
Carol Bellamy concluded her three-day visit to the Country by meeting with representatives of key ministries working in close partnership with UNICEF.
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DECEMBER 2002
UNICEF Hails 10th Anniversary of Largest Broadcasting Campaign for Children in the World: The International Children's Day of Broadcasting
Amman (11 December,2002)- Voices and views of children will dominate the Jordanian airwaves as young people commandeer the Jordan Radio and Television station to produce and present programmes that reflect their views and dreams this Friday.
The occasion is the International Children's Day of Broadcasting (ICDB), sponsored by the United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF), which began 10 years ago with the participation of some 200 television stations around the world - and now boasts over 3,000 broadcast outlets as partners.
In Jordan, children as young as ten years will take part all day in radio and television programmes. They will commence the day with the "Good Morning" show at 7:00 a.m. on the Arabic Radio Service (AM 800) which will also transmit other shows on FM 99. Young people will appear on television in the early morning. Children will then wrap up the day in the studios of Radio Jordan's English service on the "Friday Special" programme at 7:00 p.m. (FM 96.3).
ICDB this year focuses on the ten principles of the "Say Yes for Children " campaign. "Put Children First" and "Listen to Children" are examples of these rights which are the same principles of the World Fit for Children declaration adopted by Heads of State and Government, including Jordan, in May 2002 in New York.
The young people participating in the various shows come from all over the Kingdom and represent the following groups: The Intergenerational Group which developed a media strategy this year to address issues seen as important to promote dialogue between parents and their children. The second group is the Children in the Cities team that is currently participating in a regional conference where mayors and children are meeting to discuss child friendly cities among other topics. The third group represents a mix of school students who will speak about subjects close to their hearts on the English Service starting 11:00 a.m. on FM 96.3
UNICEF said widening support for ICDB over the last decade has made it possible to promote children's radio programming alongside television. And this year, for the first time, radio will be considered for special recognition. A special prize has been launched with OneWorld for outstanding radio programmes produced for and by children.
"Radio is the most widely used broadcast media in many parts of the world, so it is important to encourage radio stations to participate in ICDB," said Marjorie Newman-Williams, UNICEF's Director of Communication. "Radio stations are often locally-based and part of the community, which means they can provide a platform for children to have a say about issues that directly affect their lives."
The International Children's Day of Broadcasting takes place every year in December. Through its 165 field offices, UNICEF encourages broadcasters to open their airwaves and broadcast studios to young people so that they can produce programming from a child's perspective. ICDB gives children the opportunity to express themselves by creating television and radio shows focusing on their own concerns, hopes and ambitions.
UNICEF has long recognised that the media can be a potent force for change. With this goal in mind UNICEF has also created a new website MAGIC (Media Activities and Good Ideas for, with and by Children) which is a comprehensive international resource of information, advice and best practice on children and media. MAGIC features a searchable online database with media projects from all over the world where broadcaster can obtain and share ideas. This exciting new online resource is available to all ICDB participants at www.unicef.org/magic
Launch Of National Survey On Youths In Jordan
Amman (16 December, 2002)- The results of a national survey on youths in Jordan will be launched on Tuesday (17 December, 2002) by the United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF) in co-operation with the Higher Council for Youth (HCY) and the Jordanian Department of Statistics (DOS).
The survey report "Jordanian Youth: Their Lives and Views" draws a comprehensive and nationally representative picture of the situation of Jordanian youths aged 10 - 24 years in nearly all areas of life: Education, employment, health, leisure time, freedom of movement, access to information, social relationships, participation, self-perception, general attitudes and legal awareness.
Parental attitudes are also captured in selected subjects pertaining to young people's health, education and employment, their participation in the decision- making process, gender, intergenerational relationships, and human rights.
A comprehensive overview of the survey findings are to be presented at the launch. In addition to an in-depth analysis on selected themes. It is hoped that they will stimulate more inquiries and research on specific issues that concern policy makers, development practitioners, young people themselves, their families and all those who care for the future of Jordan's young. At the end of each chapter in the survey report, there are recommendations for interventions. They present initial outlines for actions, which need to be further developed through future discussions and deliberations with concerned parties.
The field survey was conducted by DOS in July up to October last year. The sample was based on 8,800 households. A total of 3,635 young males and 3,786 young females were interviewed in addition to 1,505 fathers and 1,807 mothers. The data are representative with regard to young people's sex, age groups (10 - 14 years, 15 - 19 years and 20 - 24 years), their marital status, and geographic representation (north, middle and south)- the three major governorates of Amman, Irbid and Zarka were also covered by the survey.
This survey is part of the larger project "Promoting Opportunities for Adolescents in Jordan". The latter focuses on the promotion of gender equality and equal opportunities for young Jordanians in their lives, participation and leadership skills, access to livelihood opportunities and their active involvement in private and public decision making processes.
The survey results highlight the opportunities and challenges that lie ahead for all those who are seriously concerned about the future of Jordan's young population. It is in their hands to grasp the existing chances to tap this vast human potential and make it flourish; yet it is also their responsibility to create new realities that better prepare young Jordanians for a personally fulfilling and productive adult life. If the survey contributes to such actions it will have fulfilled its purpose.
Some Facts Highlighted in the Survey:
Although youths of both sexes enjoy nearly equal opportunities in terms of access to education, girls and young women are largely excluded from public life. Limitations in young females' freedom of movement present a major obstacle that reflects strongly on their involvement in civil society organisations and the labour force.
Young people are aware of their capabilities to take charge of their lives yet they see limited opportunities to do so. Only a few of them have leadership aspirations. Youths also believe that they need to further develop their leadership capabilities.
An entrepreneurial spirit is largely missing among Jordanian youth as they see only limited opportunities to achieve economic self-reliance through their work.
Young people's health awareness, knowledge and practices are partly deficient including their knowledge of the physical changes that occur during adolescence. This knowledge is often taken as a rough indicator of people's reproductive health knowledge.
Young Jordanians acquire largely gender-segregated roles and responsibilities and they have little opportunities to learn about respectful collaboration between the genders
Families remain the main source of help and assistance for adolescents and young adults although as they grow older, youths turn more towards peers for support.
Although education is highly valued by both parents and their youngsters, youth see little connection between educational qualification and income generation.
Young people grow up with clear guidelines for their behaviour and social relationships that stem from tradition.
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