Understanding and Exercising Political Rights: Pre-election Outreach to the Women of Zarqa

More than 200 women from Zarqa’s rural areas underwent political training that explained the concept of democracy and prepared them to urge other women to participate in elections independently, away from tribal or family influences.  In late October, the Zarqa Family Guidance and Awareness Center, with support from the Middle East Partnership Initiative (MEPI)’s local grants program, launched a core training workshop for 10 women community leaders, who in turn trained 200 more women from seven regions of Zarqa, on the definition of elections, rights of women in political participation, and leadership management.  These interactive workshops, which ended in November 1, succeeded in preparing these 200 women to conduct get-out-the-vote outreach campaigns and urge women to practice their election rights independently.   They distributed twenty thousand leaflets that outlined the importance of women’s involvement in the parliamentary elections November 20, and included information on quotas for women, as well as rules and regulations for casting ballots.

The project was reported in Al Ghad newspaper October 23, and Al Arab Al Yawm November 17.