ABSTRACT
Laith Al-Rousan Although there are many similarities in the situation of women all over the world, every society enjoys its own particularity, and Jordan is no exception. We in Jordan have inherited a strict paternalistic system from our ancestors, which seeks “with the best of intentions” to overprotect woman. The result is that over the years women have been marginalized to the point of being excluded from most decisionmaking processes, both inside and outside their homes. This state of affairs has resulted in creating a totally dependent woman; she must refer to her male guardian with regard to even the simplest of matters – those relating to her own life and that of her children. Our challenge is to achieve a compromise between our bestcherished Arab traditions, on one hand, and the requirements of modern concepts of progress and development, on the other.
