.:: Jordanian Women's Union ::. Women’s Shelter

Women’s Shelter

The JWU shelter provides female victims of abuse and violence with protection, counselling and rehabilitation services that would otherwise be denied them because of circumstances beyond their control. The services offered are meant to help women help themselves and thereby improve the quality of their lives. As the quality of their lives improves, women will be able to contribute in a much more meaningful way to their own society. The JWU’s shelter is the only facility of its kind in Jordan.

The development of the JWU’s facilities and resources is essential to guaranteeing the ongoing protection and promotion of the rights of all women. Despite long-running programs that have demonstrated operational stability, including the JWU shelter, the expansion of activities to target more women requires additional resources.   This requirement places a strain on the existing facilities and resources, particularly when the JWU is already trying to maintain a viable operation.





The Shelter Program

At the time of intake, each shelter resident receives a kit that contains basic clothing and toiletries. Each kit contains a towel, toothbrush and toothpaste, underwear, pyjamas, slippers, comb, hair products, soap, bed sheets and feminine hygiene products.

The women are provided with three meals a day from the JWU’s income-generating project “The Productive Kitchen”, where special dietary needs can be met upon request.

The women are provided with three meals a day from the JWU’s income-generating project “The Productive Kitchen”, where special dietary needs can be met upon request.

A security guard patrols the premises 24 hours a day, ready to respond to any threats to the shelter’s staff or residents.

During a woman’s stay in the shelter, she receives support from fully-trained, qualified social workers, lawyers, psychologists and shelter workers.

Psychosocial and legal counsellors regularly monitor her case and make recommendations, according to her individual situation. In this way, the woman is better able to make an informed decision as to her own counselling and rehabilitation needs. This process is in keeping with the JWU’s policy of encouraging independent decision making by a woman regarding her own life choices.

Experience has shown that the sooner female victims of violence are provided with necessary psychosocial and legal support, the greater their chances are of recovery and of establishing a higher quality of life.

Ultimately, the woman herself will decide when she feels confident enough and ready to reintegrate into Jordanian society – either through family reunification, moving in with a family member or friend, or living on her own -- with support and follow-up from the JWU.

The JWU shelter program will continue to respond to the increased demand for legal and psychosocial services by female victims of violence. It will also respond to the complex and additional needs of an increasingly non-Jordanian clientele.