Minister of Foreign Affairs of Norway, H.E. Ms. Anniken Huitfeldt, visits PSD in Amman

Amman - On behalf of the Public Security Directorate of Jordan (PSD), Brigadier General Dr. Mutasem Abu Shatal, Acting Director of PSD, hosted the Minister of Foreign Affairs of Norway, H.E. Ms. Anniken Huitfeldt, at PSD’s headquarters in Amman on Monday, joined by the Representative of UN Women Jordan, Mr. Nicolas Burniat.

The visit was part of the longstanding, multistakeholder partnership between the governments of Jordan and Norway in promoting the participation of women in the military and security sectors, which falls under Jordan’s National Action Plan to implement UNSCR 1325 (JONAP).

In his welcoming remarks, Dr. Mutasem Abu Shatal expressed commitment of both the directorate and the country to women’s empowerment. “Today, we, at the PSD in particular, and in Jordan in general, view women as the foundations of each family, and institution. We support women in public security to reach the level of self-realization, unleash their energies, capabilities, and creativeness on the job, and to stand side by side with their fellow male colleagues in decision-making processes.”

JONAP’s 2021 annual report highlighted the plan’s national ownership, which recorded a 1.63% increase in the number of uniformed women in the PSD. As for the percentage of women deployed in peacekeeping missions, the PSD saw an increase of 4.2%. The directorate’s implementation of Gender-Mainstreaming Strategies (2021-2024) and gender-responsive policies has also resulted in the appointment of 49 gender focal points and officers across all governorates.

Mr. Nicolas Burniat commended the significant achievements made by PSD on strategic, tactical, and operational levels. “Jordan has been recognized as an example of national leadership for the effective localization of the Women, Peace and Security agenda. The deployment of women police officers in the first line of response continue to make differences within the framework of peacekeeping operations, and UN Women looks forward to strengthening our partnership on the JONAP as we move to its second phase” said the UN Women Jordan Representative.

H.E. Ms. Anniken Huitfeldt also lauded the partnership between Jordan and Norway in advancing the Women, Peace and Security agenda. “I am delighted to be here today, as a close partner of the Jordanian National Action Plan (JONAP),” she said. “The increase in women’s participation in the security sector has played a crucial role in ensuring women’s perspectives and needs are taken into account in decision-making processes. The implementation of JONAP has set an example in the region and beyond, enabling more women to take responsible roles in society. To this end, I am pleased to announce Norway's commitment to JONAP II through the pooled fund, as we are very proud of the achievements made, especially towards women’s contribution to peacebuilding.”

The Norwegian delegation was then briefed on the role of Family and Juvenile Protection Department in protection from and response to gender-based violence, the role of gender ambassadors, and the participation of women leaders in the directorate. The meeting also included a presentation by the Gender Office on the key results achieved under JONAP in collaboration with UN Women and the Jordanian National Commission for Women (JNCW).

The visit concluded with a discussion on the challenges and lessons learnt regarding women in leadership positions, in addition to future plans for implementing the PSD’s gender-mainstreaming strategy.