Jordan became an independent kingdom in 1946, and six years later drafted a constitution guaranteeing democratic ideals: freedoms of speech, press, and assembly. Article 6 of the constitution states: “Jordanians shall be equal before the law. There shall be no discrimination between them as regards to their rights and duties on grounds of race, language or religion.” Notably, gender is absent from this declaration; by failing to include provisions that would protect the rights of women, inequalities and discrimination have persisted in Jordan for generations. The 2021 Global Gender Gap Report, which measures economic participation and opportunity, educational attainment, health and survival, and political empowerment ranked Jordan 131 out of 156 countries. Women are underrepresented in parliament and the workforce, and suffer high rates of gender-based violence. However, with the work of the Jordanian National Commission for Women and many female-led NGOs, the government is taking significant steps toward obtaining equal rights for women in social, political, and economic spheres.
Women’s access to sport is controversial in many Middle Eastern countries due to cultural and religious norms. Football is the most popular sport in Jordan, and over the past several decades, the national team has been the top team in the region winning the West Asia Women’s Championship in 2005. In 2016 Jordan became the first country in the Middle East to host a female World Cup. The FIFA Under-17 World Cup was one of the largest sporting events in Jordan with 16 nations competing in the tournament. The event led to wider recognition and acceptance of the women’s game and two years later Jordan became the first West Asian nation to host the AFC Women’s Asian Cup.
Meet and support global leaders creating change in Jordan:
Dima Alardah
Batoul Arnaout
Noor Dajani
Nour Kayyal
Rima Yacoub
How does Jordan compare to other countries?
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Women in Leadership
PERCENTAGE OF WOMEN IN PARLIAMENT AS OF 2020
15%
PERCENTAGE OF WOMEN IN MINISTRY POSITIONS AS OF 2020
21%
Has a Woman Ever Been Head of State or Head of Government?
No
HAS A WOMAN EVER BEEN SPORTS MINISTER?
Unknown
Title IX Timeline
1946
Jordan gained independence.
1974
Women gained the right to vote (full suffrage).
1980
Jordan signed the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women (CEDAW).
1984
Raida Abdallah Bader became the first woman to represent Jordan in the Olympics and three track and field athletes became the first women to represent Jordan in the Paralympics.
1992
Jordan ratified CEDAW.
2017
Jordan signed the UN Security Council Resolution 1325, affirming that peace and security efforts are more sustainable when women are equal partners in the prevention of violent conflict, the delivery of relief and recovery efforts and in the forging of lasting peace.
Women in the olympics
participation through the years
-
0
-
0
-
0
-
0
-
3
-
3
-
12
-
5
-
4
Women in the Paralympics
participation through the years
-
0
-
0
-
5
-
0
-
12
-
7
-
4
Elite Sports Participation
First Year Women Participated In The Olympics
1984
Year Women’s Participation In Olympics Was Equal To Men’s
2000
First Time A Woman Won An Olympic Medal
The first woman could be you!
First Year Women Participated In The Paralympics
1984
Year Women’s Participation In Paralympics Was Equal To Men’s
2004
First Time A Woman Won A Paralympic Medal
The first woman could be you!
FIFA
Fédération Internationale de Football Association
National Women’s Team?
Yes
First Year Of Play
2005
Pay Gap Comparison
Pay Unknown
Gender Initiatives
In 2016, Jordan became the first country in the Middle East to host a FIFA U-17 Women’s World Cup.
The Jordanian Football Association opened its in augural Women’s Pro-League in 2019 with seven clubs.
FIFA is committed to the growth and development of women’s football around the globe.
For More Information
FIBA
Fédération Internationale de Basketball
National Women’s Team?
Yes
First Year Of Play
1995
Pay Gap Comparison
Pay Unknown
Gender Initiatives
Increasing the participation of women in basketball at all levels was named as one of FIBA’s eight strategic objectives (2019- 2027) and one of FIBA’s three strategic priorities (2019-2023).
For More Information
LOCAL
Sports
Initiatives
Major Regional Or Country Sport Initiatives
In 2016 UN Women began hosting Youth Soccer Camps for Syrian refugees to create a safe space for young Syrian and Jordanian girls to interact through sports.
