New guidelines strengthen the justice sector response to cases of gender-based violence
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Arab Women’s Legal Network (AWLN), in partnership with UN Women, has recently launched a comprehensive guideline to enhance the judicial sector response to and management of cases of gender-based violence in Jordan. Encompassing key references to national laws as well as global best practices, the ‘Legal Framework for Dealing with Cases of Domestic Violence,’ provides a set of operating procedures and guidance for justice sector personnel, decision makers and other relevant practitioners, with the aim of promoting coherence in the justice sector while enhancing the quality of services provided to survivors in line with national policies and international standards. In particular, the guidelines include detailed guidance to support the effective implementation of legislation which prevents violence against women, holding perpetrators accountable to justice and promoting the rights of survivors.
The initiative is part of the ‘Enhancing the Response of the Justice Sector for Cases of Violence Against Women’ programme, generously supported by the European Union under the Regional Trust Fund in Response to the Syrian Crisis (MADAD) and the Governments of France and Japan. “These are the first guidelines of this kind ever developed in Jordan. It is a major achievement and it also contributes to shed light on the relevance of this issue as well as the efforts of national and international partners to deliver justice for all victims of violence,” -Samah Marmash, AWLN Executive Director.
The guidelines have been developed through an extensive and inclusive consultation process with national experts over the course of the year. Two drafting committees were established, engaging 31 representatives from the Judicial council, the Ministry of Justice, the Ministry of Social Development, the National Council for Family Affairs, the Family Protection Department, the Public Security and the Jordanian Women’s Union.
As part of the programme, a training curriculum has been developed on how to use the guidelines, including their practical application during judges’ day-to-day work. ALWN has also organized dedicated trainings for 150 justice sector professionals, including representatives from the Judicial Council, the Judicial Institute, and the Family Protection Unit, in order to promote the use of this important tool and to raise awareness on access to justice for survivors of gender-based violence.