Princess Basma marks birthday

AMMAN — Thursday marks the birthday of HRH Princess Basma Bint Talal, a long-standing advocate of women and children’s rights, and a pioneer of sustainable human development in the Arab region.

Princess Basma established and serves as the chair of the Jordanian Hashemite Fund for Human Development (JOHUD), a non-profit organisation established in 1977. Today, JOHUD represents a unique, participatory model that relies on a nationwide network of 51 locally-managed community centres, supported by a number of specialised institutions.

Princess Basma’s vision of community governance and participation remains a cornerstone of JOHUD’s work and future thinking, reflected in the organisation’s increasingly de-centralised approach and high degree of local involvement. 

As stated by Princess Basma at the Global Land Forum last year, for “the notion of participation, the absolute importance of listening to individuals and communities is crystal clear”. 

“Societies, governments and service providers, international donors, the private sector and civil society cannot have a lasting, meaningful impact, unless they are truly responsive and reflective of the needs and opinions of stakeholders and shareholders that they profess to uphold,” Princess Basma said.

In May 2022, His Majesty King Abdullah bestowed Princess Basma with the Order of the State Centennial for services and contributions to the advancement and progress of the nation.

As a member of the Advisory Board of the UN Decade on Ecosystem Restoration, a global movement working to prevent, halt and reverse the degradation of ecosystems worldwide, Princess Basma has also been increasingly advocating for environmental sustainability and for JOHUD’s widespread networks to become a platform for environmental activism.

National initiatives launched and directed by Princess Basma include the Goodwill Campaign (est.1991), which reaches thousands of families living in need every year, and the Queen Alia Competition for Social Responsibility, which has raised social awareness amongst generations of Jordan’s school children for decades.

Princess Basma has also chaired the Jordanian National Commission for Women (JNCW), since the Commission’s establishment in 1992. The JNCW is the highest official entity responsible for addressing women’s and gender-related issues, with a focus on legislation and policy reform.

The Princess is also an honourary human development ambassador for UNDP and a goodwill ambassador for UN Women and the UNFPA. She holds a PhD in Development from Oxford University.

Princess Basma is married to Walid Kurdi, with whom she has four children; Farah (JOHUD’s Executive Director), Ghazi, Saad and Zein Al Sharaf. They have eight grandchildren: Fatima Al Zahra, Zein Al Sharaf, Abdulaziz, Aysha, Iman, Basma, Haya and Alia.