Amendments to Jordan's Passport, Citizenship and

UNCLAS AMMAN 006528

SIPDIS

DEPARTMENT FOR G/IWI - April Parmerlee

E.O. 12958:N/A
TAGS: PGOV PHUM JO
SUBJECT: Amendments to Jordan's Passport, Citizenship and
Pension Laws Give Women More Rights

REF: AMMAN 6522


1. (U) Summary: Queen Rania November 3 inaugurated the 2nd
annual Arab Women's Summit by announcing that the GOJ has
endorsed three new temporary laws expanding the rights of
women in Jordan. New amendments to the Kingdom's Passport,
Citizenship, and Pension laws come as the government rolls
out its "Jordan First" campaign, and may be intended to
signal that all Jordanians -- regardless of gender -- are to
join in this national initiative. Since the Cabinet enacted
these amendments in the absence of a sitting Parliament,
they will have to be reendorsed when Parliament reconvenes
following Spring 2003 elections. End summary.

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THE NEW AMENDMENTS
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2. (U) The amendment to the passport law allows Jordanian
women to obtain a passport for themselves and for their
children without the approval of their husbands. Previously,
freedom of travel was conditioned on a man's consent.


3. (U) The amendment to the citizenship law allows women
married to non-Jordanians to pass Jordanian citizenship to
their children - a privilege previously given to men only.
The manner in which this amendment actually is implemented
remains to be seen as the law stipulates that the Council of
Ministers must approve each case, and that the passing of
citizenship is not an automatic right. In the past, women
married to foreigners could not enroll their children in
government schools (a significant financial burden),and
also had to obtain residence permits, medical reports, and
security clearances for their children every year. Although
the law still does not allow women to pass citizenship onto
their foreign husbands, the amendment should provide
Jordanian women married to foreigners more security for
their children should the husband leave or in the case of
divorce.


4. (U) The amendment to the pension law allows women to
benefit from their deceased husband's pension - whether they
work or not. Previously widows could not get their diseased
husband's pension if they were working. This new law should
encourage women to pursue work and free them of the dilemma
of having to choose between getting the pension and working.
Details of this new amendment will be announced in the
coming few days.

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2002: IMPROVEMENTS IN WOMEN'S RIGHTS
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5. (U) All of the newly announced amendments described above
come as part of a series of advancements in women's rights
made since the beginning of 2002. Earlier in the year the
GOJ issued temporary laws improving the legal rights of
women with regard to personal status and divorce (January)
and public health (July). The amendments to the personal
status law raised women's legal marriage age from 15 to 18
and men's from 16 to 18, and also required a man desiring to
take on a new wife to be financially secure. The amendments
also allow a woman to divorce her husband without having to
provide any justification to the judge or secure the
agreement of her husband. In keeping with the above new
standards for a healthy marriage and family affairs, changes
to the public health law requires both men and women to have
a premarital blood test.


6. (U) Comment: These new "temporary laws" have been issued
by the GOJ in the absence of a sitting Parliament, and will
thus require reendorsement when Parliament reconvenes
following the Spring 2003 elections. However, they will
remain in effect until and unless a future Parliament
rejects or amends them. That they come as the GOJ goes into
high gear promoting its new "Jordan First" campaign (ref),
may indicate an effort by the GOJ to signal that all
Jordanians -- regardless of gender -- are to be part of the
this national effort.

Gnehm