Progress Amid Resistance

JORDAN 215explanation, to hold a march in Amman in June 2008. NGOs have alsobeen affected by the Societies Law enacted in September 2008, which re -stricts their funding sources, increases government monitoring of their in -ternal activities and decision making, and allows government bodies ratherthan the courts to adjudicate alleged violations of the law.Freedom of speech and freedom of the press are guaranteed in Article15 of the constitution, and women, as well as men, are free to express theiropinions in public and in the media within the confines of Jordanian law.A 2007 press law abolished imprisonment of journalists for ideologicaloffenses; however, there were limited incidents of detention and imprisonmentof journalists for defamation and slander. All publications must belicensed by the government, which has the discretion to issue fines, withdrawlicenses, and order media shutdowns, enabling the state to controlthe editorial content of newspapers. Journalists writing on women’s rightsissues are generally not subjected to government interference, althoughthey sometimes receive threats from within the society, including accusationsof being “agents of the West.” The number of media articles on gendertopics—including domestic violence, honor killings, family laws, andworking women—has been on the rise in recent years.Women are increasingly participating in civic life through professionalorganizations, which frequently engage in political activity. Women currentlyconstitute almost 21,000 of the 100,000 members of professionalorganizations in Jordan, including those for engineers, journalists, physicians,and lawyers. 30 However, they remain underrepresented in theseassociations and their governing bodies.Women have relatively free access to information that can empowerthem in their civic and political lives. A growing number of women are takingadvantage of Internet resources or attending lectures and other activitiesthat will strengthen their knowledge and experience. More women arealso beginning to use the latest online media platforms, including blogging,social-networking sites, and video-sharing sites like YouTube.RecommendationsF The government should appoint more women as ministers, senators,and governors, and as senior officials in Jordan’s diplomatic corps andcivil service.F The government should appoint female judges to the Court of Cassa -tion and other high courts, as well as to the Shari‘a courts.