First Person: Levelling the gender playing field in Jordan

“I was brought up by a azygous mother, who mislaid her hubby erstwhile she was conscionable 28, and raised 4 children connected her own, arsenic good arsenic managing to study, gain a assemblage degree, work, and rise america well! She besides faced a batch of favoritism and obstacles.

My parent inspired maine to beryllium connected myself, and I person been studying, moving and volunteering since I was 17. I earned 3 scholarships, and was capable to suffice arsenic a nutritionist and person a master’s grade successful nationalist health.

For much than 3 years, I person been volunteering successful wellness systems, communication, younker engagement, and sex equality, some for the UN and for different organizations successful Jordan. I person been capable to enactment myself 100 per cent.

Growing up successful a household that supports women was a important plus to my ambition of becoming a sex equality advocator successful Jordan, and particularly erstwhile we launched the WeRise campaign. It meant that it was easier for maine to explicit my opinions and beliefs, careless of the magnitude of hatred I received from those successful my surrounding situation (especially men).

Volunteering for HeForShe has changed my life, and opened up a satellite of opportunities. It helped maine to unafraid the assistance to bash my masters grade successful nationalist health, and to get a six-month internship astatine the UN Women Jordan office.

In this region, it is hard to sermon sex equality, oregon immoderate taxable that contradicts people's beliefs. But with consistency and passion, a idiosyncratic tin execute immoderate they desire, nary substance however hard it is.

Facing down barriers

Making sex equality appealing is not an casual process. We person faced galore barriers, not lone from older adults, but besides from peers successful our ain property group, particularly during the HeForShe assemblage tours. We visited each of the universities successful Jordan, but we were met with galore judgemental rejections adjacent hate. On the different hand, we won a large woody of supporters.

The WeRise task started erstwhile I was doing my internship astatine the UN, and I took portion successful the readying and launching process. My squad members and I were asking ourselves what it would beryllium similar if we introduced sex equality successful each aspects of our lives. We came up with the thought of a level with a gaming element, that encourages players to sermon antithetic topics related to sex equality and women’s empowerment.

The full inaugural was created successful Jordan, by young volunteers. This is overmuch much than a game; it is simply a crippled with a purpose. We privation to marque it bigger and disposable for everyone to let younger generations to interact with the principles of sex equality done gaming. So…let’s rise!”

HeForShe Arabic

The squad down the WeRise app, a HeForShe project, successful Jordan