London,
Ms. Cherie Booth,
Distinguishedguests,

It is a pleasureand an honour to be among old friends and new. Tonight we celebrate a specialevent marking twenty years of an organisation we have all come to know andadmire, together with international women′s day. Let me take this opportunity to thank MsCherie Booth for asking me to be here today. Ms. Booth′s vocal and uncompromisingstand on human rights issues is an inspiration.Her work as a human rights lawyer reminds us all that rights on paperhave to be translated into rights in practice in the home, the family, thecommunity, the workplace and the nation. The legal framework of the UNconventions is central to this process.

I would also liketo recognise the work of another role model, Ms Julia Hausermann through theorganisation that she founded: Rights and Humanity. For the past twenty years, Rights andHumanity has sought to raise the profile and application of human rightsthroughout the world.

Their uniqueapproach of contextualising human rights locally, while upholding a set ofglobal principles has meant that their voice is respected everywhere. Early on, they pioneered concepts andutilised methodologies that now seem essential to the success of any efforts tomake human rights take hold in todays world.
This evening,after International Womens Day, I would like to talk to you about some of thework I am involved with in Jordan, and why it is that I think Rights andHumanity has, in effect, got it right, when they go about addressing issuesof rights, and of responsibilities.

Despite the vastchanges that have occurred worldwide in the lives of women, and in the natureof gender relations that affect them, for a large proportion of the 3 billionwomen that inhabit our planet, life is a complicated ordeal. Poverty, violence, disease, unemployment,famine, and exploitation disproportionately affect the lives of girls andwomen, and while their rights may be enshrined on paper, they often do not comeclose to being exercised in practise.

Many factors contribute to this blockage thatdenies women the full enjoyment of rights they are entitled to; from systemicinequalities that are so ingrained in socio-economic and political systems thatwe often fail to see them, to the crude and brutally obvious displays ofdiscrimination and denigration that women frequently encounter. Undeniably, the rights and entitlementsdenied to an urban woman living in the west, differ to those of a rural womanliving in the developing world. Yettraditionally termed universal human rights have been criticised by many forfailing to sufficiently address core issues faced by both.

Womens delegationto a private sphere has often made them subject to discriminatory practises,abuses and maltreatment that go on behind closed doors, at which the law seemsto stop. Certainly, this is changing inmany places, and in Britainfor example, great strides have been taken to change this. Nonetheless, formany women, of the developed north and developing south, human rights, for manyreasons, remain a rather abstract, distant, and unattainable set of ideas.

For manycommunities and their women in particular, the denial of political freedoms isovershadowed by more tangible denials such as food, shelter, medicines andphysical safety. While these are allrights issues, it was not until a more recent chapter of the human rights storythat they came to be acknowledged as basic human rights in themselves.

I first met JuliaHauserman, the dynamic force behind so much of Rights and Humanitys success,some years ago. Rights and Humanityswork in Jordancentred on finding ways to bring human rights to life in peoples everydayexperiences. The human rights approachto development pioneered by Rights and Humanity subsequently not only became avaluable framework directing international development efforts, but in Jordan is stillhelping us achieve some promising outcomes today.

In 2001 and 2002,the Jordanian Hashemite Fund for Human Development (known as JOHUD), of which Iam chairperson, resumed working closely with Rights and Humanity in aconsultation process to investigate perceptions concerning human rights in Jordan. Themost important finding was that, whilst urban-based professionals spoke mostlyof civil and political rights, non-professional women from poorer urban orrural communities focused far more oneconomic and social rights, and most especially the rights to essentialservices like education, health and social security. They also asserted that a lack oftransparency and accountability on the part of duty bearing institutions wasthe main barrier to claiming rights in practice.

In 2005, JOHUDcompiled JordansNational Human Development Report, entitled Creating SustainableLivelihoods. Results of a nation-wideconsultation process conducted at the time showed policy makers, the public andlocal organisations that in terms of peoples perceptions, the situation wasstill much the same.

Informed by thisevidence, JOHUD established its flagship womens rights programme, Makana. The word Makana means Status inArabic. The title is appropriate Makana captures womens demand to gain status in every aspect: social,economic, legal, political, cultural and personal and to achieve it in both thepublic and private spheres.

Across Jordan, Makanawomen work in groups in their local communities to identify problems thatresult from the failure of duty bearing institutions to meet their statutoryobligations. They help the poor claimtheir entitlement to cash assistance, get health insurance, or support fordisabled family members. They actcollectively to mobilise support, collecting signatures on petitions, lobbyingdecision-makers, and calling in the media to create public awareness.These women haveentered a domain once inaccessible to them, interacting with local government;mayors, governors, directors of education and social services, and governmentMinisters. Through their actions, theyhave ensured that primary health cares centres open at hours that suit womenand families, that there are classrooms equipped for young people with specialneeds.

They have mobilised environmentalhealth services to clean up waste, to tackle health hazards and to ensuresafety and security on public streets.More and more, they are also communicating their views on employmentissues, access to credit and training, to boost their income generatingpotential. Each small gain reinforcestheir belief that every citizen has an equal right, and that they have a rightto a place in the public sphere alongside men. From this change in status, theyare increasingly empowered to be in charge of their own choices in the privatesphere.

Makana is aJordanian model for democracyled by women citizens and working peacefully toimprove well-being for all. When womenclaim their rights, they tend to do so inclusively, acting in ways thatstrengthen the social fabric, rather than undermining it. They earn the respect of the community theybecome role models, and others will follow their footsteps. Such projects create an empowered female electoratedemanding transparency and accountability from all elected leaders. They create a local form of democracy inaction, grounded in grassroots realities, and embedded in the local context.

Undoubtedly, thisprocess has tremendous implications for new generations of women activists,community leaders and members of government.Perhaps as importantly however, it is a process that can result in arights approach being internalised, not because it is imposed from outside acommunity, but because it emerges from within.

Through suchprogrammes, Jordanis recognised as a unique model for development maintaining its commitment to peace in a region of extreme political, socialand economic upheaval. The strength ofour nation is based on the ability of our citizens to live together harmoniouslythrough a code of respect for the rights of others. Devising our own systems of governance inwhich women have a strong voice is vital to our future.

Rights andHumanity long recognised that the realisation of human rights entails apeople-centred process. Whilerecognising that high level political support is crucial to create a supportiveenvironment for people to claim their rights, legislative reform in itselfcannot insure justice for those who often are denied it most.

At a time whenhuman rights are so very clearly at stake in our world, threatened as they areby conflict, poverty, natural and manmade disasters, we must support thoseinitiatives and those organisations that seek to uphold them. However, the mistrust and tension that surroundthe subject of human rights, because it is so politically charged andcontentious, mean that it is imperative that we try to listen to each othermore carefully.

A respect for thecultural and religious values of a society is not an impediment to humanrights. Indeed the experience of Rightsand Humanity while working in Islamic societies such as our own demonstratedthat Islamic values of tolerance, fairness and responsibility towards oneanother promote the realisation of rights.

If we are to ever realise a dream of globalpeace and justice, we must undertake, as Rights and Humanity have, to engage indialogue, respect difference, and promote understanding. Recognising the non-negotiable right of allpeoples to live a fulfilling life with dignity is a principal we can all share,and by working to make this right a reality for women, we can begin achievesuch a reality for all.

MayI take the opportunity to wish Rights and Humanity further success, and say howmuch we in Jordanlook forward to continuing our partnership with them in years to come.

 
Thank you.