Amman, July 13 (Petra) — Minister of Social Development and
Chairperson of the Inter-Ministerial Committee for Women’s
Empowerment, Wafa Bani Mustafa, patronized the launch of the Women’s
Forum within the Jordan Forum for Policy Dialogue on Monday evening.

The launch, which coincided with Jordan’s national occasions,
featured a panel discussion titled “Jordanian Women in the Vision and
Aspirations of His Majesty the King,” drawing participation from
prominent political, academic, and parliamentary figures.

In her keynote address, Bani Mustafa stated that the launch of the
Women’s Forum marks a significant milestone in recognizing women as
equal partners in Jordan’s development and modernization. She noted
that responsible dialogue is essential for shaping national policies
that enhance women’s participation in decision-making roles.

Bani Mustafa emphasized that the King’s vision has placed women’s
empowerment at the center of the modern state. This commitment has
translated into constitutional, legislative, and political reforms
that have bolstered women’s public representation, leading to
historically high female participation in successive parliaments. She
also praised Her Majesty Queen Rania Al Abdullah’s national efforts
in human capital development and the empowerment of women and girls.

The minister added that the Inter-Ministerial Committee for Women’s
Empowerment continues to implement programs in line with Jordan’s
economic, political, and administrative modernization paths. These
include raising women’s economic participation, fostering
entrepreneurship, and expanding financial inclusion. She highlighted
initiatives like the “Institutional Stamp” for gender equity and the
political school for women, which recently graduated its 15th cohort
focused on local administration.

Furthermore, Bani Mustafa pointed to the Social Development Law of
2024 as a qualitative leap in regulating social work, creating job
opportunities, and linking women’s economic empowerment directly to
family stability and national economic resilience.

Hamid Batayneh, President of the Jordan Forum for Policy Dialogue,
said the organization prioritizes women’s issues in the belief that
they are primary partners in comprehensive reform. He added that the
newly established Women’s Forum will serve as a national platform to
exchange expertise, draft initiatives, and contribute to public
policy-making in line with royal directives.

Lina Shabib, President of the newly formed Women’s Forum, said the
body will gather female leaders to build partnerships with public,
private, and academic institutions. The forum plans to organize
specialized seminars to develop supportive policies for women in
sustainable development.

The launch concluded with a panel discussion featuring Senator Suhad
Al-Jundi and Member of Parliament Fleiha Al-Khudeir, moderated by
Abeer Dababneh. The panelists reviewed the progress of Jordanian
women’s empowerment under the Hashemite leadership, highlighting
qualitative shifts in their political, economic, and social standing,
and called for continued efforts to elevate women into senior
leadership positions.

//Petra// AF