SPECIAL COORDINATOR FOR WOMEN'S ISSUES VISITS

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 AMMAN 005996

SIPDIS

PLEASE PASS TO APRIL PALMERLEE, G/IWI

E.O. 12958: DECL: 10/14/2012
TAGS: PHUM PGOV JO
SUBJECT: SPECIAL COORDINATOR FOR WOMEN'S ISSUES VISITS
JORDAN

REF: A. AMMAN 05908

B. AMMAN 05922

Classified By: DEPUTY CHIEF OF MISSION GREGORY L. BERRY: 1.5 (b) and (d
).


1. (C) SUMMARY. April Palmerlee, Special Coordination for
International Women's Issues, visited Jordan Oct 5-8 for the
recent NEA Economic Officers Conference. During her visit,
Palmerlee made a site visit to a social services center in
Zarqa and met with a GOJ human rights official and a local
human rights activist. END SUMMARY

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FAMILY GUIDANCE AND AWARENESS CENTER
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2. (U) On October 7, Palmerlee and poloff visited the Family
Guidance and Awareness Center in Zarqa. Director Nadia
Bushnaq, a long-time embassy contact, gave Palmerlee a tour
of the facilities. Bushnaq has 25 years experience as a
social worker in Jordan and opened the Center in Zarqa four
years ago (note: Bushnaq also ran for parliament in 1993, but
was unsuccessful). The Center provides a range of services
(mostly to women),such as guidance on how to cope with
spousal abuse and raising children in poverty. She has
psychologists and legal counsel on site and operates a
hotline. Bushnaq has a total of 40 employees, half of whom
are "field workers" performing outreach services throughout
Jordan. An AID funded family planning physician regularly
meets women at the Center. The Center currently receives
funding from the EU, the UN, the GOJ, several European
governments and the Canadian government. Most recently, the
GOJ gave the Center a 40,000 USD grant to purchase a building
for internet classes, meetings, and other activities, such as
sewing and preparing foodstuffs. Bushnaq's latest planned
projects include a children's center in Zarqa and a women's
shelter. She has received considerable media coverage for
her efforts, including a recent 40 minute interview on JTV.


3. (U) Palmerlee met with several women at the Center, most
of whom were victims of spousal abuse and/or living in
poverty. Many of these women credited Bushnaq with helping
them to get back on their feet. One woman told of how her
husband abandoned her and left her to raise four children,
all of whom were able to complete college and become
successful people. "I could not have done this without
Nadia's help," she said.


4. (U) The Center is currently developing its internet
classroom. Bushnaq said that the GOJ and several local
companies have contracts with the Center to provide internet
instruction. The Center also provides poor women (and men)
with the opportunity to take classes for a small fee (which
can be waived for needy students). The Center also teaches
women how to sew and produce foodstuffs, and their products
are marketed and sold by the center. Bushnaq says that
teaching abused or neglected women marketable skills raises
their self esteem and ultimately empowers them.

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PALMERLEE MEETS WITH NANCY BAKIR,
HUMAN RIGHTS ADVISOR TO THE PRIME MINISTRY
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5. (C) Palmerlee had lunch with Nancy Bakir, Human Rights
Advisor to the Prime Ministry. Bakir has been working for
the GOJ in various capacities for more than 20 years.
Currently, she is organizing the forthcoming first ladies'
conference in Amman, which will be held in early November and
will include approximately ten first ladies from the region.
Palmerlee discussed the issue of honor killings with Bakir
(reftel a). Bakir agreed with Palmerlee that honor killings
are a serious matter but noted that societal attitudes are
improving and that the Jordanian media now regularly report
on honor killings. The two agreed that more effort needs to
be made to empower women in the political and business
arenas.

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SA'EDA KILANI, HUMAN RIGHTS ACTIVIST, COMMENTS
ON MALE ATTITUDES TOWARDS WOMEN IN THE MIDDLE EAST
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6. (C) Palmerlee also met with Sa'eda Kilani, a local human
rights advocate. Kilani is currently working on a book that
analyzes the phenomenon of the Egyptian soap opera hero
portrayed in "Haj al Mutamudawally". Mutamudawally, Kilani
explains, has become an icon for Arab men throughout the
region. He is the prototype "magnanimous polygamist," able
to attract women from every social class and background -- at
all times above criticism for his behavior. Kilani notes
that men in the region look up to him and that this, in her
view, is instructive on the general attitude that men in the
region have toward women. "He is who they want to be,"
Kilani said, although she conceded that in Jordan only 8
percent of men are polygamists.

7. (C) On human rights generally, Kilani commented that,
"although we have a constitution here it is qualified
significantly, and there is no 'ground floor' of human
rights," such as provided by the US Constitution to
Americans. That said, Kilani believes the GOJ is generally
interested in the advancement of women's issues and rights in
Jordan. With regard to honor killings (reftel a),Kilani
said that people had become confused between laws with regard
to honor killings and "crimes of passion," and that, in her
opinion, the GOJ should do more to clarify the differences.
Kilani said that the fact that some Jordanian women live in
fear of being killed by their husband or close family member
is tragic, and noted efforts of Royal Family members (in
particular Prince Ali) to address the issue. "The Royal
Court, in general, is quite supportive of women's rights,"
Kilani said

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COMMENT
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8. (C) Bushnaq's center is one of the most successful social
services center in Jordan and has received funding from many
international sources, including the USG. On women's issues
in general, we note the Queen's meeting with DAS Elizabeth
Cheney (reftel b) as well as the GOJ's recent pledge to move
forward on a legal framework through which honor crimes can
be better addressed (reftel a).
GNEHM