Cairo: Secretary General of the Jordanian National Commission for Women (JNCW) and member of the Executive Council of the Arab Women Organization (AWO), Maha Ali, participated in the opening session of the AWO’s 10th General Conference held in Cairo. In her remarks at the session titled “Connectivity, Empowerment, and Protection of Women and Girls from Cyber Violence and Technology-Induced Abuse,” Ali emphasized the dual nature of digital technology as both a tool for empowerment and a medium for emerging online violence, impacting women and girls significantly.
According to Jordan News Agency, Ali highlighted Jordan’s dedication to empowering women in line with the royal vision and the national modernization agenda, positioning women’s active participation as a pillar of sustainable development. She pointed to the ICT sector as one of Jordan’s key industries, noting that women comprised 21% of the workforce in this field in 2024, while female graduates accounted for 51% of IT and computing graduates in Jordanian universities as of 2021.
Furthermore, 2023 statistics indicated that 90.9% of Jordanian women were internet users, showcasing high digital inclusion. Ali stressed the supportive legislative environment in Jordan, including the Cybercrime Law that provides legal protection against digital offenses, and the National Digital Inclusion Policy 2025, aimed at integrating all societal groups, particularly women, into an inclusive digital society.
Ali also mentioned the Independent Election Commission’s launch of a digital violence observatory to monitor cyberviolence targeting women candidates, recognized as a form of political violence. The National Strategy for Women 2020-2025 emphasizes women’s empowerment across various spheres while addressing protection from all forms of violence, including online abuse. The JNCW continues to work with relevant institutions to raise awareness and strengthen prevention mechanisms.
The two-day conference also featured research contributions from Jordanian academics. Amal Awawdeh, Director of the Center for Women’s Studies at the University of Jordan, presented a paper titled “Women and the Cyber World in Jordan,” which analyzed women’s presence in the ICT field, the legislative framework, and the challenges they face in cyberspace.
Additionally, Mohammad Widyan from Yarmouk University’s Faculty of Information Technology presented a paper on “Using Artificial Intelligence and Cybersecurity to Protect Women.” His research explored AI technologies used to detect harmful digital activity, as well as governance and ethical frameworks to safeguard privacy and human rights. Widyan also shared case studies on successful AI applications in protecting women from cyberviolence.