President Trump’s administration’s decision to globally freeze US foreign development assistance for 90 days, pending reassessment, and to halt all initiatives related to diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) sent shockwaves through the humanitarian and development sectors worldwide. In Jordan -home to one of the largest refugee populations and heavily reliant on foreign aid to support critical sectors like infrastructure, health, and education- this decision is deeply concerning for stakeholders and observers alike.
To discuss the impact of the DEI program’s cancellation and the funding freeze, Arab Renaissance for Democracy and Development (ARDD), JONAF, and the Al-Nahda Women Network organized a roundtable on February 23, 2025, to examine these policy shifts and their consequences for women’s rights and women’s organizations in Jordan. The present document summarizes the discussions and includes the recommendations made by participants.
Participants at the roundtable emphasized the need for both immediate and long-term strategies to mitigate the crisis and preserve the progress made in gender and social justice. They called for immediate action to coordinate a mitigation plan, reconsidering the framework for foreign aid assistance in Jordan, building a resilient civil society capable of absorbing shocks, engaging in dialogue on the sustainability of Jordanian civil society, and enhancing government engagement with civil society.
