Women’s civic engagement and leadership in Jordan remain constrained by intersecting structural, social, and institutional barriers. These barriers confine women’s authority to the private sphere, while the public domain continues to be dominated by men. Addressing this imbalance does not only require directly targeting constraints, but also transforming the broader social environment, including engaging men and boys as active allies.
Engaging men and boys as allies contributes to a results pathway in which increased awareness and dialogue lead to shifts in attitudes and behaviors, fostering more enabling environments that support women’s leadership and participation in community decision-making.
This policy brief provides evidence-based recommendations for policymakers and civil society to advance women’s leadership through inclusive, gender-transformative approaches that actively engage men and boys. It draws on insights from local dialogues and programmatic experience to identify key barriers and opportunities for fostering more inclusive civic spaces and to propose recommendations for policymakers, civil society actors, and community leaders seeking to strengthen women’s participation in community decision-making in Jordan. During 11 community dialogue sessions with 331 male participants across several governorates, stakeholders recognised inclusive decision-making as essential to social cohesion and community resilience, noting that women’s leadership produces solutions more closely aligned with household and community needs.
Safe spaces for men should be complemented by joint dialogue between women and men. Religious and community leaders should be engaged to reframe gender equality as a shared value, while greater visibility of women in leadership roles and expanded economic empowerment opportunities are essential to driving lasting change. To address these challenges, programs should be locally grounded and designed in consultation with community stakeholders, with strong investment in gender-transformative facilitation.
