28.5% of seats in local councils were held by women in the most recent elections (2022), compared to 71.5% held by men — reflecting a 43% gender gap.
Enhancing the participation of women and youth in local councils contributes to expanding diversity and pluralism in local decision-making processes.
SIGI: Legislative reform and political activation are needed to ensure effective female and youth participation in local councils.
The outcomes of the Political Modernization Committee present a promising vision that still requires legal implementation.

Solidarity Is Global Institute-JO (SIGI) notes that public discourse and political circles are currently focused on the upcoming local and decentralized elections, with the countdown already underway. These discussions coincide with upcoming amendments to the Municipalities and Decentralization Laws, as well as other related legislation. Calls are growing for fair and effective representation of Jordanian women that go beyond symbolic quotas, aiming instead for true legislative and institutional empowerment.

Stagnant Female Representation in Local Councils

Statistical data shows that the percentage of women in municipal councils has remained stagnant for over a decade. In 2015, women held 27.8% of seats, compared to 72.2% for men, reflecting a 44.6% gender gap. In 2022, women’s representation was 28.5%, versus 71.5% for men — a 43% gender gap.
SIGI stresses that while these figures meet the minimum quota for women, they reflect a state of stagnation and a lack of meaningful political empowerment for women at the local level, requiring further analysis and policy review.

Promising Yet Unrealized Reforms

SIGI emphasizes that the Political Modernization Committee, formed in 2021, proposed a promising set of reforms. However, these remain recommendations and need to be translated into legally binding provisions.
Among the committee's key proposals:

• Allocating at least 30% of elected council seats to women at both the municipal and governorate levels.

• Reserving a seat for persons with disabilities in each elected council.

• Creating “shadow councils” to train and empower women, youth, and persons with disabilities as a preparatory step for more inclusive official councils.

• Mandatory formation of permanent committees for women and youth within local administrative bodies.

• Linking local budgets to gender-responsive planning and addressing local challenges faced by women.

While these outputs are important steps toward inclusive governance, they still require legal adoption and political will to ensure meaningful, not just symbolic, implementation.

On-the-Ground Challenges Persist

SIGI highlights that despite increased female participation in councils, the local electoral environment still suffers from structural obstacles that hinder women's engagement.
These include:

• Persistent stereotypes about women’s roles in public life.

• Lack of party, political, and financial support for female candidates.

• The absence of women in leadership positions within councils due to legislative gaps and societal attitudes.

• Limited influence of elected women due to a lack of institutional support and unresponsive local policies.

From Quotas to True Representative Justice

As a civil society organization advocating for rights-based development, SIGI calls for the upcoming Local Administration Law to include:

• A mandatory allocation of no less than 30% of seats to women, with geographical diversity ensured.

• Monitoring and evaluation mechanisms to assess gender equity in councils.

• Requirement that deputy mayors be women, and support for women to lead major municipalities.

• Dedicated funding and operational resources for women and youth committees.

• National campaigns to raise awareness and support for women as local decision-makers.

• Ensuring a safe electoral environment for female candidates and confronting all forms of electoral violence.

Women’s Local Participation: A Public Interest

In light of the development and service challenges facing Jordanian communities, comprehensive development cannot occur without real women’s participation in decision-making at the grassroots level.
Empowering women locally is not only a rights-based obligation, but a cornerstone for social justice and effective governance. The resulting impact will benefit women, communities, and the Jordanian state as a whole — this is a public interest, not a private one.