The Jordan Times this week reported on the interesting predicament of about 40 women, victims of rape or incest, who are being held in Jordanian prisons ?for their own safety.? In addition, another group of women, having completed their sentences ?for such offenses as becoming pregnant out of wedlock or allegedly being involved in an extramarital affair? are not being released to go home. In both instances the Jordanian police fear that relatives may kill the women in order to ?preserve the family's honour.? When the women who were imprisoned for committing crimes against public morality can be released on bail, the families often refuse to put up the bail money. Sometimes, the family bails the women out of prison specifically in order to kill them.
Certain families tend to treat their female relative?s loss of her virginity, regardless of the reason, as a mark of shame that can only be removed by her death. Annually, approximately 25 women in the Hashemite Kingdom are the victims of such ?honor killings?. Major Ibtisam Dhmour, director of the only women's prison in Jordan, expressed frustration that her department ??cannot provide a safe haven for women on its own without the help and further cooperation of other governmental and non-governmental organizations.?
Dhmour said that she sees it as imperative that the Jordanian authorities ?work on changing society's attitude toward these women by giving them a second chance and help them integrate easily into society.? She also pointed out that, in general, women inmates receive very poor treatment by their own families. They are ?hardly visited by their families, and are not appointed good lawyers, while male inmates receive food, money and good legal representation by their families,? reports the Jordan Times. ?When a woman is convicted, she pays for it her entire life, while released men re-integrate easily into society because of their family's support,? said the prison director.
Certain families tend to treat their female relative?s loss of her virginity, regardless of the reason, as a mark of shame that can only be removed by her death. Annually, approximately 25 women in the Hashemite Kingdom are the victims of such ?honor killings?. Major Ibtisam Dhmour, director of the only women's prison in Jordan, expressed frustration that her department ??cannot provide a safe haven for women on its own without the help and further cooperation of other governmental and non-governmental organizations.?
Dhmour said that she sees it as imperative that the Jordanian authorities ?work on changing society's attitude toward these women by giving them a second chance and help them integrate easily into society.? She also pointed out that, in general, women inmates receive very poor treatment by their own families. They are ?hardly visited by their families, and are not appointed good lawyers, while male inmates receive food, money and good legal representation by their families,? reports the Jordan Times. ?When a woman is convicted, she pays for it her entire life, while released men re-integrate easily into society because of their family's support,? said the prison director.