The Journey to Empowerment: Evaluating Women's Political Progress through Jordan's Legislative Reforms

Objectives: This study explores the influence of the feminist movement and institutions on the empowerment of Jordanian women and their increased political participation, with focus on electoral legislation. It examines the strategies and policies advocated by Jordanian women's organizations to achieve their objectives, and assesses the effectiveness of the feminist movement in politicizing women's issues and securing their demands. Methods: The study adopts a historical approach, by tracing the evolution of the Jordanian feminist movement and examining election laws through a legal lens to gauge their effect on women’s political empowerment. Results: The findings reveal that the feminist movement and related institutions have significantly influenced the amendment of various legislations, ensuring enhanced political and economic empowerment for women. These efforts have led to increased representation of women in parliamentary councils, facilitated by changes in the election law, including the provision for women’s right to run for office and the allocation of quotas in Parliament. Conclusions: The study concludes that the Jordanian women's movement has made considerable strides towards achieving equality and fostering political participation. Women's organizations have been instrumental in advocating for women's rights across social, economic, and political spheres. Since 2003, the implementation of quotas has been a driving force behind the progress in women's political participation, leading to a notable increase in women’s representation in the House of Representatives. This success is attributed to effective lobbying for electoral law amendments and the strategic allocation of women's quotas.