WANA launches discussion to encourage youth’s active role in policymaking

AMMAN — The West Asia and North Africa Institute (WANA) on Tuesday held a discussion to increase young people’s skills to advocate for the issues facing young women and persons with disabilities (PwD) in Jordan and actively contribute to policy-making.

The five-year programme, titled “Towards Inclusive Participation of Vulnerable Women and People with Disabilities in Social and Economic Life", is held in partnership with the IM Swedish Development Partner, according to WANA statement. 

Through Participatory Action Research (PAR), the WANA Institute equipped 22 young people (ages 22 through 30) in the Irbid and Mafraq governorates with the necessary skills to develop analytical reports and practical solutions for pressing issues that contribute to the social and economic exclusion of young women and persons with disabilities.  

The target group was provided with critical thinking, writing, communication, research, creativity, problem solving, presentation and leadership skills. 

During the session, the participants presented six policy papers that provide recommendations to policy-makers on the rights of vulnerable women and people with disabilities. 

The papers address the following topics:  Women in the agricultural sector within the Northern Jordan Valley District in Irbid; Cyber violence towards women during the COVID-19 in Irbid; Women working in small productive enterprises in Mafraq; Media monitoring of the rights of persons with disabilities in Jordanian official newspapers: Al Rai and Al Dustoor; Economic participation of persons with mobility disabilities in the labour market in Irbid; and the extent to which the rights of persons with disabilities are included in the Jordanian national and civic education curriculum.

The programme coordinator, Hayat Al Shobaki, said that the discussion session allowed the graduates to present the recommendations to stakeholders from the public sector and civil society. This achieved one of the WANA Institute’s main goals: To communicate youth voices to decision-makers and enhance their capabilities to develop evidence-based policy papers using scientific research methodology.