Asma Khader Discusses Her Recent Work on Women's Rights in the Middle East

Asma Khader is Coordinator of Sisterhood Is Global Institute/Jordan (SIGI/J) and Counsel on violence against women to the Permanent Arab Court. She is a lawyer, teacher, author, and leading advocate of the campaign to strengthen legislation outlawing honor killing. Despite her busy schedule, on October 21, 2002 Ms. Khader agreed to speak on the phone with WLP Program Assistant Sian MacAdam about her recent advocacy on behalf of women in the Middle East.

Sian MacAdam: What project is occupying your attention at the moment?

Asma Khader: Currently, I am working to finalize draft legislation that when implemented will authorize the creation of women's shelters throughout Jordan. These would provide shelter, counseling, and options for women of any age who are victims of violence. I am part of a specialized task force that includes a number of non-governmental organizations, the police, and the Ministry of Social Development. The legislation was proposed by the Ministry of Social Development, where there is a new woman Minister, Ruwaida Al Ma'ayta. Already we have a legal platform which states that the Ministry of Social Development is responsible for providing for the needs of certain groups within society, such as women. The legislation can be implemented after the approval of the Prime Minister and the Cabinet- it does not need a vote by the whole Jordanian Parliament.

Violence against women is not just a problem in Muslim societies, it is a universal problem. There is no justification for violence against women in religion or anywhere else.

Sian MacAdam: How did you arrive at this point in your work on eliminating violence against women?

Asma Khader: About twenty years ago, a woman came to my office requesting my help. She told me that her husband had murdered their fifteen-year old daughter who was pregnant as the result of a rape. Her husband was sentenced to only six months in jail, claiming that he killed the girl to vindicate the family's honor. However, this woman revealed that her husband was in fact the rapist. The court believed her husband and did not investigate the crime any further. I decided then and there that I would do my best to change laws that ignore or cover up crimes against women. And that is how I became one of the leaders in the campaign to eradicate honor crimes.

Violence against women is not just a problem in Muslim societies, it is a universal problem. There is no justification for violence against women in religion or anywhere else. In my years of experience, I have come to believe that women need choices, they need somewhere to go when their current situation becomes untenable. That is why I have become a proponent of the women's shelters program. I feel strongly that civil society and government need to take responsibility for women's lives. I also believe that a program like the women's shelter project should be a priority for the women's movement and civil society-building efforts in Jordan.

Sian MacAdam: Are there any other women's rights projects that you are focusing on at the moment?

Asma Khader: As a matter of fact, I just returned from Yemen where I am currently engaged in the legal case of a young Yemeni woman accused of adultery and sentenced to death by stoning. The man involved in the case was only sentenced to one and a half years in prison, while Layla Radman Aiesh was sentenced to death. I am working in collaboration with a number of other organizations concerned about this case. We are trying to approach the local authorities first, rather than immediately taking it to the international level. We hope to have some success within Yemen and avoid a confrontation between traditional culture and the forces of globalization. We are concerned that by moving too fast, or creating an international scene, there is a risk that the young woman will be summarily executed. A sentence like this has never been carried out before in Yemen- it seems to be a reflection of political tensions between former communist authorities and local fundamentalists rather than an issue of Shari'a or religious interpretation.

Part of our campaign to combat violence against women is to raise awareness of women in Yemen about their legal rights. Their support is extremely important in a case like this and there have been some signs that support for Ms. Aiesh's case is gaining strength. For example, the Yemeni Women's Union in Aden gathered hundreds of signatures for a petition on her behalf. One of the reasons Ms. Aiesh is facing a death sentence is that she was completely unaware of her rights and the legal system was able to take advantage of her situation. A few years ago women's organizations would not have been able to do anything about this case. What is encouraging is that women's organizations throughout the region are growing stronger, and more importantly, we are working together on the same issues.