This is from The jordan times. There are also pics in Petra
'Women's political participation must be established at the grassroots level'
HRH Princess Basma delivers the opening address at the National Conference on the `Future of Jordanian Women' on Thursday in Salt (Petra photo)SALT (Petra) — HRH Princess Basma on Thursday said women's political participation, which is at the heart of socio-economic transformation, must be established at the grassroots level.
At the opening of the National Conference on the “Future of Jordanian Women,” the Princess said the event was timely and in parallel with a growing national debate over the future of Jordanian women.
Highlighting milestones in women's integration in public life throughout the history of Jordan, Princess Basma said one of the most remarkable achievements has been the winning of seats by women in municipal councils during the 1990s. Such accomplishments, she said, heralded women's entry into Parliament.
The Princess also highlighted the problems faced by Jordanian women, most urgent of which are the issues of globalisation and other influences, which necessitate that society as a whole, and particularly the youth, arm themselves with knowledge, determination and a strong sense of belonging to the nation.
She acknowledged that young Jordanians had indeed been up to the challenge and shown a deep sense of responsibility, leading to high expectations from them.
Senator Mai Abu Samen, who heads the conference's higher committee, highlighted the support women receive from the Hashemite leadership and the Princess.
She said Jordanian women adhere to the Kingdom's constants and the sovereignty of the Constitution and work for the security and stability of the country.
Addressing the gathering, Balqa Applied University President Omar Rimawi highlighted efforts to bolster women's participation alongside men in implementation of His Majesty King Abdullah's vision for development, especially in the field of human resources and women's empowerment.
The participants discussed several working papers addressing the issue of women's participation in public life, and focused on legislation pertaining to women, their role in economic, social and political thought and future decision making, as well as women's achievements in the fields of public administration, judiciary, local community leadership and voluntary work.
Friday-Saturday, July 1-2, 2005