Regional roundtable "Dialogue on Enhancing Democracy through Strengthening Women’s Social, Political and Economic Rights", Jordan.

The Jordan Ministry of Parliamentary Affairs, in Amman organised a national roundtable entitled “Follow-up Dialogue on Enhancing Democracy through Strengthening, Women’s Rights” on the 25 of November 2012. This roundtable is a follow-up of the national and regionaldialogues in the framework of the project “Promoting a common agenda for equality between women and men through Istanbul Process” funded by the EU.

The main focus of the roundtable was the connection between democracy building and implementation of women's rights. In his speech, the Head of Delegation underlined the need to strengthen women's rights and the promotion of gender equality as a priority on the political agenda. Political leaders, women's rights activists, diplomats and State actors from the Euro-Med region discussed the role of civil society as a crucial partner in the reform process and the need to develop concrete mechanisms for the implementation of women's rights as well as the institutionalization of a proper space for their needs. They urged the idea that the reform process in Jordan as in all countries in the MENA region should integrate the gender equality and women's rights perspective in the creation of all reform policies. A statement in support of to the Palestinian women in the process of accession of Palestine to the United Nations was issued.

Finally the roundtable reaffirmed the need to continue the dialogue on gender equality with a focus on its institutionalization in the law of constitutions.

A Euro-Med Women’s Rights Conference will be organized next year in Jordan.