Family protection from violence is a global issue that has been diagnosed as one of the social problems in Jordan, giving rise to the Family Protection Project (FPP) in Jordan, an initiative that was launched in 2000 by Her Majesty Queen Rania Al-Abdullah.

With the shared objective of maintaining the entity and stability of the Jordanian family, the FPP was merged under the umbrella of the National Council for Family Affairs (NCFA) in 2001.  Since its establishment, the FPP has conducted a number of strides in tackling family violence.

Domestic violence is, at present, no longer a taboo in Jordan. It is an issue that is openly discussed, particularly amongst professionals and in the media. The work of the team has succeeded in giving many vulnerable families, including women and children, a voice. It also developed a model that can be used within Arab and Islamic countries and serves as a useful learning experience in many countries across the world. The team has set a leading example of partnership for social justice, a concept that many doubted would be possible to realize.

The role of NCFA in relation to the Family Protection Project

As a policy think tank, the NCFA provides research and policy reviews to reform and develop family-related policies, in coordination with the FPP, which has prepared the following documents:

• The National Framework for Family Protection
• The National Strategic Plan for Family Protection against Family Violence 2005-2009

Furthermore, and as a coordinating body working with its partners, the NCFA has worked, in collaboration with the World Health Organization (WHO), on compiling a Jordanian Report on Violence and Health, which consists of most of the studies conducted in Jordan that are related to the issue.