Amman, May 27 (Petra) — Chairperson of the Jordanian National Commission for Women (JNCW) Princess Basma Bint Talal sponsored on Tuesday the launch of new map showcasing women’s legal aid service providers.

The launch took place at the Queen Zein Al Sharaf Institute for Development, where Princess Basma highlighted the vital role of legal aid in empowering women. She stated that providing women with access to legal support helps promote justice and fairness within society, safeguard constitutional rights and advance social justice.

She said the map has a “crucial” part in fighting violence against women, which affects their economic, social, psychological and health well-being. She pointed out that such violence restricts their participation in national development and has detrimental effects on families and communities.

Citing UN Women statistics, Princess Basma noted that one in three women worldwide experiences violence at least once, yet many do not seek legal assistance or protection. She referenced the 2023 Jordan Health and Population Survey, which found that 34% of women and girls subjected to violence sought legal help.

She said such revelations called for urgently expanding access to prevention and protection services provided by both government and civil society organisations, including legal aid.

Maha Ali, Secretary-General of the JNCW, explained that the map is part of the “Raising Community Awareness of Legal Aid Services” project, implemented in partnership with the Justice Centre for Legal Aid and supported by the Cypriot government.

Ali stated that the initiative aims to improve women’s access to legal aid, increase awareness of service providers, their locations, the types of services offered and the target groups.

Ali added that the project addresses challenges faced by women in accessing legal aid, the obstacles encountered by service providers and offers recommendations for improvement.

Judge Walid Muhyiddin Kanakrieh, Secretary-General of the Ministry of Justice, underscored that the Jordanian Constitution guarantees the right to a fair trial and access to justice for all citizens.

Kanakrieh noted that recent amendments to the Code of Criminal Procedure, aligned with the recommendations of the Royal Committee for Judicial Development, ensure the right to legal aid in criminal cases for residents of Jordan, regardless of nationality.

He said Jordan is committed to international standards, including the UN principles on legal aid and fair trials.

Cypriot Ambassador to Amman, Sevag Avedizian, discussed the efforts of Jordan and Cyprus in promoting gender equality and women’s rights. He praised the map as a valuable tool to help women access legal aid services and expressed pride in the strong partnership between Jordan and Cyprus, particularly in advancing women’s issues.

The JNCW announced that a dedicated tab for the legal aid map has been added to the “Know More” digital platform on its website. This feature lists the entities providing legal aid services across Jordan’s governorates.

The map includes 12 organisations specialising in legal advice, court representation, accompaniment to government agencies, mediation and self-representation.

It was developed based on surveys, focus group discussions with partners and a review of relevant legislation.

The study identified service providers, their geographic distribution, service types, communication channels and the challenges women and providers in accessing legal aid face.

//Petra// AK
27/05/2025 18:24:38