Princess Basma celebrates birthday

AMMAN — Monday marks the birthday of HRH Princess Basma, who has dedicated her career to empowering women and local communities in addition to promoting gender equality, youth engagement and the development and well-being of children.

Her work on these issues is embodied in her role as chairperson of the Jordanian Hashemite Fund for Human Development (JOHUD). Since 1977, JOHUD has been a pioneer in working with local communities to help address challenges such as unemployment, poverty, women’s rights and youth empowerment, while providing services to adolescents and children in need and supporting refugees.

JOHUD operates through a network of 51 community development centres spread throughout the country. These centres act as a vibrant focal point for the communities they serve, including women and youth committees and the national network of volunteers who manage many of JOHUD’s projects and programmes.

In response to the exceptional circumstances that the country is going through due to the coronavirus pandemic, JOHUD’s National Goodwill Campaign has launched the Goodwill Family Relief Fund (GFRF) to help vulnerable families.

The GFRF will provide underprivileged families who are not already receiving aid with emergency support, such as cash cards for essential family needs, vital medical support, assistance in establishing home-based businesses and improved shelter for those in inadequate or dangerous accommodation.

Since 1991, the National Goodwill Campaign (GWC) has provided underprivileged communities with direct assistance to help them achieve financial independence and a better standard of living. Initiatives such as the medical assistance programme and the university scholarship scheme continue to support people of all ages throughout the country.

Princess Basma is also known for her commitment to enhancing the role of women in civil society and bringing them into the public sphere. She has chaired the Jordanian National Commission for Women (JNCW), the official representative and reference on all matters related to women’s rights, since its establishment in 1992, and has been a longstanding, passionate advocate for women’s rights both in Jordan and around the world.

Princess Basma is an Honorary Human Development Ambassador for the UNDP and Goodwill Ambassador for UN Women and the UNFPA.

She is married to Walid Kurdi and has four children: Farah (JOHUD’s Executive Director), Ghazi, Saad and Zein Al Sharaf and seven grandchildren: Fatima Al Zahra, Zein Al Sharaf, Abdulaziz, Aysha, Iman, Basma and Haya.