|
Zein Al
Sharaf. Her Royal Highness is the only sister of His Majesty the
late King Hussein, and Their Royal Highnesses Prince Mohammed
and Prince Al Hassan.
Princess Basma
is married to Walid Al Kurdi and has two daughters and two sons:
Farah (March 25, 1971), Ghazi (July 21, 1974), Saad (November
8, 1982) and Zein Al Sharaf (June 1, 1986).
Princess Basma
received her primary education at the Ahliyyah School in Amman,
and then joined Benenden School in England. She went on to specialize
in languages at Oxford University. In addition to Arabic, she
is fluent in English, speaks French and has studied Spanish.
In May 2001,
Princess Basma was awarded a DPhil degree from Oxford University.
Her thesis entitled, "Contextualising
development in Jordan: the arena of donors, state and NGOs,"
examines the evolution of Jordan's development process as shaped
by political and economic factors. Within this context, the thesis
traces the growth of civil society entities, particularly those
working in social development, and as they respond to conditions
at the local, national and international levels.
|
| AREAS OF SPECIALIZATION
For nearly thirty years Her Royal Highness has worked nationally,
regionally and internationally to promote a range of global issues,
most notably in the areas of human development, gender equity,
and the well-being and development of children. Princess Basma
plays an active advocacy role through various forums such as the
United Nations, contributing to global strategies on health, education,
population, the environment, and the advancement of women. Her
Royal Highness is particularly involved with supporting the implementation
of sustainable development programmes that address the social
and economic needs of marginalized groups.
|
|
"We
have learned through experience, and I am sure you
will agree, that development is not just about providing
people with facilities and training. It is about learning
to respect each other, knowing that each person has
something unique to teach and offer us. Each woman
counts. Each woman deserves our respect. We need to
listen more."
|
| |
- Speech
of HRH Princess Basma, UNIFEM's Goodwill Ambassador,
International Women's Day celebration, March 1998, Amman,
Jordan. |
|
|
|
|
|
|
