From 28-31 July, on their first official visit to the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan, four members of a delegation headed by Susanne von Bassewitz, President of Zonta International Foundation, gained first-hand insight into UN Women’s work and witnessed the opportunities that are being provided to women through continuous support from the Zonta International Foundation.
The four-day mission included visits to two UN Women Oasis centres in host communities in Mwagar and Taibeh, two Oasis centres in Za’atari refugee camp and the Jordanian Women’s Union in Zarqa, as well as a meeting with civil society organizations and Jordanian women leaders to discuss national priorities to promote women’s empowerment.
Since 2018, Zonta International has been partnering with UN Women to support national efforts aimed at strengthening the resilience and empowerment of Syrian refugee and vulnerable Jordanian women and girls through the ‘Eid bi Eid’ (Hand-in-Hand) programme.
The partnership supports the UN Women Oasis Centres for the Resilience and Empowerment of Women and Girls, which provide women with relevant job skills and meet their protection concerns and promoting empowerment through leadership and civic engagement, while also engaging men and boys in dialogue and mobilization for social equality.
“Doing something for women in this humanitarian context and in this part of the world is important to address the refugee crisis,” said von Bassewitz. “The services provided within the center are impressive. It was inspiring to learn that the women themselves were raising the session topics that they want to learn about and discuss. This is empowerment, women knowing what their needs are and asking for it”.
The visit also included a tour of the Jordanian Women’s Union in Zarqa. Supported by Zonta International Foundation, the organization provides safe and confidential access to comprehensive response services for survivors of gender-based violence. Von Bassewitz met with some survivors and witnessed the support and information services provided within the centreю
With the generous support of the Governments of Australia, Finland, France, Iceland, Italy, Japan and the European Union through its Regional Trust Fund in Response to the Syria crisis (Madad Trust Fund), as well as by the Zonta International Foundation and UN Women National Committees, the ‘Eid bi Eid’ programme addresses the challenges associated with growing vulnerability by improving women’s access to sustainable and decent employment, coupled with protection services and community engagement – to enable greater equality and reduce violence against women.
Original source: UN Women
Published on 21 August 2019
