Jordanian Youth in action as Ambassador for Gender Equality

In Jordan, 49% of all males over the age of 24 believe that men have the right to disciple women. Yet, Jordanian youth stand ready to challenge social and cultural behaviors. ‘One day I was passing near the Princess Basma Youth Center, here in Madaba, and I noticed they were promoting an initiative to end violence against women. I was curious to learn more. Why there is the need of such a project in my country? Why is there violence against women?’ This is how Faras learnt about the UN Women- UN Volunteers joint initiative ‘Youth Advocacy for Women’s Rights’. Determined to know more, Faras attended the series of trainings organized by Queen Zein Al Sharaf Institute for Development (ZENID), which gave him the tools to advocate for women’s empowerment. ‘I was impressed by the fact that during the training we were actually discussing issues that matter for our community’ Faras proudly affirmed.

At the end of the project, Faras became a committed volunteer, dedicated to helping people in his community realize the importance of women’s rights as well as the need to end violence against women. Faras himself organized several focus group discussions in public institutions and schools in his Governorate with the dream of supporting a more prosperous society, free of gender discrimination and violence. Moreover, Faras is constantly engaging his family and friends - especially men – in his work, with the goal of reaching out to more people and communities in the Kingdom. But in male-dominated society, promoting women’s rights is not an easy job and Faras feels a unique responsibility. ‘Today we are the youth, tomorrow we will be men, husbands and fathers. We need to understand how treat with dignity our wives, sisters and daughters’.