ARDD calls on gov’t to facilitate rights of women during virus crisis

AMMAN — A local organisation called on the government to facilitate access to judicial branches for women to secure their rights in light of the COVID-19 lockdown since last month.

The call came in a paper that was prepared by the Arab Renaissance for Democracy and Development (ARDD) and titled “The Impact of the COVID-19 Pandemic on Women’s Access to Justice in Jordan”.

“Women are currently unable to claim their rights that fall within the jurisdiction of the Personal Status Law. As such, women are currently facing delays in obtaining their financial rights in light of the suspension of proceedings in both the regular and Shari’a courts,” the ARDD paper stated.

These include aspects such as expenses of all kinds, including the wife’s expenses, children’s expenses, and housing, as well as requests for the deferred dowry, compensation for arbitrary divorce, and even custody and viewing cases, according to the paper.

Regarding the alimony, the paper maintained, the Supreme Judge Department has created a mechanism for disbursing the legal expenses, but “there is still a challenge regarding the issue of legal expenses that were not paid due to this official lockdown. There has not been a mandatory decision or monitoring of implementation and this has resulted in a delay of relevant proceedings”.

Women are also facing challenges in terms of visitation rights with their children and as a result of current circumstances and the disruption of the work of the courts and the curfew, arrangements for women’s visitation rights with their children have been postponed, the paper maintained.

Turning to sexual and gender-based violence, the ARDD paper said that there are increased threats to women and girls due to the current limitations of movement imposed by the government lockdown and curfew.

“It is evident that this disproportionately affects women, increasing their vulnerability in terms of violence in all its forms, whether verbal, psychological, physical or economic,” the paper said.

The paper suggests several recommendations such as the delivery of finances that are considered essential rights of women in a way that is implemented through the same mechanisms currently used for other necessities, such as deferred dowry, compensation for arbitrary divorce and others.

It also recommended the continuation of procedures for open cases, whether in Shari’a or administrative courts and preventing delays, stressing the urgency of cases related to women’s rights, such as inheritance and labour rights, as well as divorce, monetary rights and custody rights.

Mechanisms should be developed for the assistance of women in debt who are now facing increased dangers of exploitation in the case of informal debt, and imprisonment in the case of formal debt after the current lockdown subsides, the paper stated.

The paper also called for paying special care for elderly women, such as the delivery of services and basic needs without the need to leave their homes.