A journey of reshaping Jordanian Women’s role in politics
From grassroots champions to historic election results, a national journey of transformation.
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Story by: Abeer Allan
At first, Jameeleh never imagined herself involved in politics. A teacher from central Badia, she spent her days shaping young minds in the classroom, far removed from the political sphere. "Politics felt out of reach," she reflected. "I was hesitant to even consider it."
That changed when she joined the "Our Shared Responsibility" initiative, launched with the support of UN Women. “Through a series of trainings and capacity building workshops, I gained the skills, knowledge and confidence to engage politically,” she shared. "The training opened a door I had never thought to walk through.”
Soon after, Jameeleh became a training coordinator during the 2024 elections, an experience that marked the beginning of her journey into political life.
Becoming a training coordinator during the elections was something I never imagined myself doing. It was a transformation from shaping minds in classrooms to shaping the future of our country. — Jameeleh
Jameeleh's story is part of a much larger movement across Jordan. In 2024, the country achieved a historic milestone: women secured 19.5% of seats in Parliament, surpassing the regional average of 17.9% and rising sharply from 13.8% in the previous term.
At the heart of this transformation was a nationwide, multi-faceted voter awareness campaign under the first joint action plan between the Independent Election Commission (IEC) and the Jordanian National Commission for Women (JNCW), with support from UN Women. Central to these efforts was "Our Shared Responsibility", implemented in partnership with civil society organizations and grassroots champions across the Kingdom.
Through coordinated outreach, using digital platforms, traditional media, community-based organizations and local networks, more than 5.4 million people were reached, with 1.3 million actively engaging online. The campaign focused on fostering trust in women’s leadership and building public confidence in female candidates.
Today, women like Jameeleh are not only participating in elections, they are helping reshape the very fabric of Jordan’s political life. Building on this momentum, efforts will continue to empower more women to lead and to contribute to Jordan’s political modernisation.
As a result, 364 women were trained to run for office; 34 became candidates, and three secured seats in Parliament, marking the single largest leap in women’s political participation in Jordan’s history, despite regional instability and global democratic backsliding
“ For me, it was a significant shift from teaching to engaging in political life. It marked the beginning of my political journey and my contribution to Jordan’s Political modernisation.
The progress achieved, from grassroots leadership to historic gains in women’s political representation, was made possible through the generous support of the European Union (EU) and the Italian Agency for Development Cooperation (AICS) to UN Women.
Working in close partnership with the Independent Election Commission (IEC) and the Jordanian National Commission for Women (JNCW), UN Women continues to work towards advancing inclusive participation and strengthening women’s leadership across Jordan’s political landscape.