Activists launch inclusive web-based gender platform

AMMAN — Starting Thursday, researchers can access the Takamol HAQQI Gender Clearing House platform for information on legislation, research and media productions on gender issues.

The gender information zone was established to bridge the gap between research and local policies and to assist in achieving evidence-based development, said Aida Essaid, director of the Information and Research Center — King Hussein Foundation (IRCKHF), one of the partners.

Researchers do not have to be looking for information exclusively on gender, she noted at the launch of the platform on Thursday, explaining that the tool will show results on any of the human rights mentioned in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights.

Takamol HAQQI means “completion of my right” in Arabic and symbolises women’s rights as a completion to the rights of the individual, which also include the right to access information, among others, according to organisers.

The portal allows using keywords and topics related to gender, such as marital status, sexuality and violence, reproduction and family, as well as gender-related institutions, according to Sawsan Samara, IRCKHF’s communications manager.

She explained that the legislative component of Takamol HAQQI comprises national, regional and international constitutions, laws and conventions pertaining to gender issues in Jordan.  

Meanwhile, the research section holds all research conducted in relation to gender by institutions and individuals on local, regional and international levels in the form of research papers, policy briefs, journal articles, dissertations, conference contents and training manuals.

The third component, media, includes infographics, videos and various news articles related to gender issues in Jordan and the region.

The platform currently includes over 350 entries it its three categories, available in both English and Arabic, and includes filters that sort results based on language, scope, target group and type of sources.

In order to access the information zone, users are asked to create a log-in account and a profile. Also, academics, researchers and institutions can publish their works and research papers on the portal, which functions as an online network. 

The web-based platform, which is the first of its kind in Jordan, is carried out by USAID-Takamol and the IRCKHF.

On the sideline of the launch, a number of representatives of civil society organisations and research centres were received training on using the portal.