Women’s Rights in Jordan: CEDAW and National Laws

Abstract

One of the most prominent human rights issues in the Middle East is the issue of women’s rights. There are many social, political and legal obstacles to improving women’s rights and achieving equality for women. Jordan’s ratification of the CEDAW has created a contested space for debate on policy setting. It has also brought about some achievements, albeit slowly and minimally. This paper will demonstrate how Jordan’s middle positioning in terms of political system is the key feature in creating a contested yet successful CEDAW ratification and application process. The contested nature of the process stems from the interaction between the various key players in this arena, each seeking legitimacy as the norm setters of women’s rights in Jordan. The same conditions that made room for contestation also made way for impact. Using Simmons’ analysis of ratification impact, I argue that Jordan’s middle political system, being neither a stable democracy nor a stable autocracy, has rendered CEDAW ratification effective because political mobilization in this system is receptive to the increased value and probability of success brought by treaties.