Sex Trafficking
*Jordan Photo Credits: by R. SalibJordan has a lack of natural resources, environmental issues, along with economic and social issues, and has the challenge of immigrants and refugees. The trafficking of Iraqi women is expressly prevalent within Jordan. It is also a destination country for women from Southeast Asia for the purpose of labor. Jordan is a destination for women from Eastern Europe and Morocco for the purpose of prostitution. Women come from other countries with the promise to work as domestic servants, and then become victims of forced labor, and due to Jordanian labor laws, withholding of passports, non-paid wages, and sexual abuse occurs.
The Jordanian government does not comply completely with the basic standards for the elimination of trafficking, but has shown improvement. The country was placed on the Tier 2 Watch List for the failure to provide evidence of efforts to combat trafficking. Although improvements have been made, the government has not made significant improvements in criminally prosecuting and punishing traffickers. There is also a lack of protection services, for victims of trafficking according to the trafficking report.
In 1929, Jordan prohibited slavery through its Anti-Slavery Law; but neither sex trafficking nor forced labor is expressly prohibited. The government does not provide any facilities, shelters, or protection mechanisms for trafficking victims, so some victims of trafficking are often prosecuted and put into jail. There are no campaigns against child sex trafficking in Jordan, but according to the U.S. State Department Jordan is not a destination for child sex trafficking.
The sexual trafficking of specifically Iraqi women is a problem in Jordan. There are currently 50,000 Iraqi and Syrian women who are trapped in sex trafficking in Jordan, which is believed to be caused by the instability of the Iraq War. The government does not recognize Iraqi refugees and does not grant the right to work. Being unable to support their families, these women who are displaced are prime targets for sex traffickers in the country. They are often times forced to work as cabaret dancers, and then forced into prostitution, while others are kidnapped from the streets and sex trafficked. This can occur for women as young as 11 years old, by Iraqi family members who use the girls to pay debts, and are even forced into temporary marriages where the girl’s family may receive a dowry for her, which becomes a short term prostitution agreement. Once the women find themselves in the new home of their husbands, they are sexually exploited and never able to return home. This problem has increased as a result of the displacement of Iraqis after the war. Greater pressure by the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees needs to occur on the government to address the resettlement groups and make it a priority to protect trafficked women. American intervention and support would greatly help the indifference towards these women. Jordan recently completed an anti-trafficking action plan, but the U.S. State Department states that the plan is “inadequate” and noted that the issue still exists that there is no mechanism for shelters for trafficking victims. These women may also be deported from Jordan if arrested, and are considered criminals back in Iraq, where they are killed to preserve any family honor.
Honour Killings
In Jordan, “honour” killings are legal. Article 340 of the Criminal Code, states that “A husband or a close blood relative who kills a woman caught in a situation highly suspicious of adultery will be totally exempt from sentence.” One man, Hussein Suleiman, was accused of driving over his 6-month pregnant unmarried sister three times in a truck, even though she denied any immoral behavior. It is said that honour killings as a combination of Egyptian ancient custom and the Napoleonic Code from 1810. The Jordan Times in 1994, reported the killing of an 18-year-old girl who had served six months in jail for being pregnant out of wedlock, and was then killed by her 17-year-old brother, stating that the family was relaxed and satisfied after announcing this news of her killing. The girl was shot four times at close range in the back of the head, and once in the forehead. Her brother was put in jail, but was likely to only serve a few months. Anywhere between 28-60 Jordanian women died from “honour” killings in 1994, according to Rana Husseini, a journalist with The Jordan Times. It could be possible, that this number is in the hundreds though. King Abdullah II has shown staunch opposition to this practice, and has initiated legislation that would dictate honour killings in-line with murders and has rallied public support for this. This action, has allowed for humanitarian groups to more actively speak out against the practice also. This change in Jordanian society has been a challenge though, given that in 2000, the Jordanian parliament rejected a draft law that would call for the cancellation of Article 340, in which they stated would, “destroy our Islamic, social and family values by stripping the man from his humanity, and not allowing him to get angry when he is surprised by his wife committing adultery.” Due to this, 5,000 protestors flooded the streets of Amman requesting a repeal to the code. Involved in the protest was King Abdullah’s brother, Prince Ali. This practice is leaving Middle Eastern women to fight for their rights, with over 5,000 women in the Middle East according to the UN, being killed due to this practice. Women’s Empowerment
Due to the unfair treatment of women in the Arab world, my focus in Jordan will be within the area of sex trafficking and women’s empowerment/aid to women and girls. There is much education that has been occurring within Jordan, and that still must occur within society to bring about improved conditions for women and girls, while ensuring full access to education so that they are viewed as successful and contributing members to society, allowing for personal power, accomplishment, and protection.
Many humanitarian and aid organizations have women’s assistance programs in Jordan, and have even started to setup women’s social enterprises, so that women are empowered in Jordan, like the programs at the Jordan River Foundation (see: http://www.jordanriver.jo/Program_Community.asp?Language=E).
A 24 year old Jordanian woman’s view:
“Educate a woman and you educate her family. Educate a girl and you change the future.”
~ Queen Rania of Jordan
Reference:
Case Study: Honour Killings & Blood Fueds:
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