Preventing and Responding to Gender-Based Violence in Jordan

The Women and Girls Empowered (WAGE) program's Preventing and Responding to Gender-Based Violence in Jordan was a multi-disciplinary program led the American Bar Association Rule of Law Initiative (ABA ROLI) from 2021-2022. The initiative’s goal was to improve prevention efforts and coordinated response to gender-based violence (GBV) in Jordan. The initiative worked to enhance technical expertise and coordination among community-based GBV providers in select regions for high-quality, survivor-centered, trauma-informed, targeted, and holistic solutions, and evidence-based preventive remedies for women and their families. ABA ROLI supported partner organizations in developing their management of cases, evidence-based programming, and advocacy efforts, as well as raising public awareness of available economic, legal, medical, and psychosocial services for GBV survivors and address the stigma attached to GBV survivors.

WAGE believed that when Jordanian CSOs have improved capacity to raise community awareness about GBV and provide holistic, individualized, client-centered, and trauma-informed services to women experiencing or at risk of GBV, then efforts to prevent GBV, protect survivors, and build their long-term resilience will be more effective and sustainable. This initiative aimed to bolster local GBV providers’ technical expertise and coordination to ensure survivors can access and receive holistic services and referrals to address the constellation of challenges they face and build a better future.

The program's central goals were:

• To enhance the organizational and technical skills of Jordanian CSOs, including the creation of linkages with other organizations, to support women and girls at risk of or experiencing GBV in times of both relative stability and crisis.
• To provide holistic, individualized, and trauma-informed assistance to women and girls at risk of or experiencing GBV.
• To raise public awareness about GBV and available services.

The program delivered training, workshops, and mentoring to GBV caseworkers in a range of areas including safeguarding and case management. Legal service providers participated in training on trauma-informed lawyering and formed a community of practice to support peer learning advising and representing clients in cases of intimate partner violence. A key achievement of the project was strengthening networks of GBV service providers, increasing referrals, and strengthening survivor access to services.

The program also supported direct service delivery, with over 1,200 women receiving services during the life of the project. Partners were introduced to social behavior change communication approaches and co-created a multi-media outreach campaign to encourage help-seeking behavior among those experiencing GBV. Recognizing the impact of the work on GBV caseworkers’ mental health, the program designed and delivered psychosocial support sessions, introducing participants to stress management techniques such as visualization, meditation, and breath work. Speaking about the sessions, one caseworker said: “The reflection sessions for us case workers have changed my life. I now have tools to use in my daily life that make me more resilient and make me a better case worker for survivors. I wish these sessions could continue regularly."