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Ammon News - Activities of the regional campaign to promote women's participation in elections were launched on Wednesday, in the presence of heads and representatives of Arab electoral administrations and civil society organizations at the regional and local levels.

The launch ceremony was sponsored by the Independent Election Commission (IEC), in cooperation with the Arab Organization for Electoral Management Bodies (ArabEMBs).

In his opening speech, IEC Chairman, Khaled Kalaldeh, highlighted the Arab women's " remarkable" presence in all fields, adding that women played a "prominent" role in carving out their rights over a 7-decade period.

Kalaldeh reviewed percentages of women’s participation in elections, which confirmed their ability to bring about development within the context of the "desired" change and the pursuit to harness their own capabilities to promote concept of partnership to advance societies and their progress.

The work of the Royal Committee to Modernize the Political System (RCMPS) in the context of supporting Jordanian women's sector is an added step to improve their conditions, according to Kalaldeh.

For her part, the Swedish Ambassador to Jordan, Alexandra Rydmark, said Sweden in 2014, became the first country to support feminist politics, noting that the political participation of Arab women is "still limited."

Resident Representative of the United Nations Development Program (UNDP) in Jordan, Randa Abu Al-Hosn, said women still face structural, social, economic, institutional and cultural barriers that prevent their political participation.

Addressing these challenges requires effort on the part of every society stakeholder, whether the government, civil society or the media, academia, the private sector or youth, Abu Al-Hosn pointed out.