Jordan’s national response to violence against women and girls was assessed under the 2024 Regional Index on VAWG, which shows varying levels of achievement across seven categories. While Jordan recorded high scores in areas such as preventive programs, data systems, and professional capacity of first responders, the Legal Framework and Public Policies category scored 54.2%, reflecting persistent legislative gaps. Jordan has introduced several legal reforms, including amendments to the Penal Code and the enforcement of the Law on Protection from Domestic Violence (2017). However, Jordan continues to maintain reservations to Articles 9 and 16 of the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women (CEDAW), has not ratified the Optional Protocol, and the Constitution does not explicitly prohibit discrimination based on sex.
Several ministries and national institutions have mandates related to the protection of women and girls, including the Ministry of Social Development, the Jordanian National Commission for Women (JNCW), the National Council for Family Affairs, and the Family Protection and Juveniles Department under the Public Security Directorate, in coordination with the Ministries of Interior, Health, and Education. The JNCW is recognized as the official national mechanism for women’s affairs and leads coordination and awareness-raising activities related to violence against women and girls.
Jordan has adopted the National Strategy for Women in Jordan (2020–2025), which includes an objective stating that women and girls should enjoy lives free from all forms of gender-based violence. The report notes that there is no standalone national strategy exclusively dedicated to combating VAWG, while sectoral strategies address related aspects within broader policy frameworks.
Specialised services for women victims of violence are provided through three government-run shelters located in Amman, administered by the Ministry of Social Development. Cooperation mechanisms are established under the National Framework for the Protection from Domestic Violence, which defines coordination between the Family Protection Department, the Ministries of Interior, Health, Education, Social Development, and the National Council for Family Affairs for the prevention of violence, case reception, referral, and response.