The transformative power of JWU’s protection services in supporting women in Jordan

For fifteen long years, Mrs. S (real name and initials are not used for the safety of the beneficiary) endured unimaginable hardship within the confines of an abusive early-marriage. Married at a young age, she faced relentless physical and psychological violence, coupled with financial deprivation. With two children relying on her, the thought of leaving seemed impossible. Fear and uncertainty overshadowed her life, but she knew she had to seek a way out; for herself and her children.

“When I almost lost my life from the beating, that was my sign to leave with my kids for safety. I turned to the Jordanian Women’s Union (JWU) shelter seeking protection and the chance to rebuild my life and my children’s shattered lives,” she shares. JWU’s shelter, an initiative supported by UN Women, became her refuge – providing her and her children with immediate accommodation. For over two years, they found safety within the walls of JWU’s shelter, a place where fear was replaced with hope and despair transformed into strength.

JWU’s support extended far beyond the shelter. Mrs S underwent individual and joint counseling sessions, which became instrumental in helping her process years of trauma and navigate the road ahead. Through these sessions, she shares, “I learned that I was not only abused physically and psychologically. The trainer helped me identify different types of violence, and, only then, I realized that I had also been subjected to sexual and verbal abuse.” Recognizing the profound impact of domestic violence on children, JWU ensured that her children received the psychological assistance they desperately needed. They were placed in nearby schools and given emotional support, allowing them to reclaim a sense of normalcy and stability. “My children had suffered in silence for so long,” she shares, “At the shelter, they finally had a safe space to heal. Seeing them smile again and feel safe gave me the strength to keep moving forward.”

A journey to independence

Legal empowerment was another cornerstone of her journey to independence. Through the shelter’s legal assistance programme, JWU assigned a lawyer to represent Mrs S in court, advocating for her and her children's financial rights. With proper legal aid, she was able to reclaim what was rightfully hers, securing a future free from the shadows of her past. Alongside legal support, healthcare was also prioritized. Mrs S and her children received comprehensive medical care through the shelter’s clinic. With access to vital health services, they began the physical and emotional healing journey.

Rebuilding her life also meant finding financial independence, so JWU provided her with the support needed to sustain a good living, by helping her secure stable employment at one of its training centers. Mrs S went through a training programme in the field she was interested the most; cooking. The shelter provides four different specializations in their training programmes: Cooking, Beauty salon, tailoring and traditional clothing.

 “For the first time, I had my own income,” she says with a proud smile, “I could buy food for my children without asking for permission. I finally felt in control of my own life.”

With a steady income, she took the next courageous step, securing a home of her own. No longer shackled by dependence on an abusive partner, Mrs S now stands as a pillar of strength for her children. “Now, I wake up every morning knowing we are safe,” she shares. “I provide for my children, and we have a future filled with possibilities, especially with them being back in schools. I am so proud of my children; they are achieving high grades.”

Today, Mrs S is a provider and a beacon of hope. Her story portrays a woman’s ability to reclaim her life despite the darkest of circumstances. It is a testament to strength and to the transformative power of adequate support. Thanks to JWU and their UN Women-supported shelter, Mrs. S and her children are no longer victims of violence but architects of a future built on dignity, safety, security and freedom.

After the 2023 earthquakes, women and girls across the affected region saw their daily lives profoundly disrupted. Safe spaces became scarce, access to psychosocial support was limited, and essential services were often out of reach. In this difficult period, women’s organizations played a vital role in helping women reconnect with life and with one another. One such response was the establishment of the Women’s Life Centre, established in Adana by the Association for Women’s Freedom and Equality (KÖVED), a partner of UN Women. 

Yasemin Gezici says her life began to change the moment her path crossed with the Adana Women’s Life Centre. Now 33 and a mother of two, she says that only after coming to the centre that she fully realized the weight of the invisible burden she had been carrying for years.

Born as the eldest daughter of a family originally from Mardin, Yasemin Gezici grew up in a family where marriages between close relatives were common and where responsibilities were placed on her from an early age. Although she earned a university degree in public administration, her marriage in 2016 and the birth of her two children gradually pulled her away from working life. Over time, her world became increasingly confined to the home.

For years, Gezici says she lived with feelings of loneliness, exhaustion, and worthlessness. Caring for her children and managing household responsibilities left her disconnected from social life and with little space for herself. When her connection to the outside world was nearly severed, she discovered the Women’s Life Centre near her home.

The Centre soon became a turning point for Gezici. For the first time in years, she found a space where she could breathe, speak openly, and feel understood. Gezici began attending training sessions on women’s health, child marriage, violence, rights, and access to public services. Each session, she says, opened a new window. 

“For example, I didn’t know that boys also need cancer screening. That was a big realization for me, especially for my son. I learned how breast cancer can be detected through self-examination, how reproductive health tests are done… I learned all of it,” says Gezici.

One topic that affected her most was the prevalence of child marriage and marriages between close relatives in the region. For the first time, she learned about the long-term impacts of these practices on women’s health, education, and safety - practices that had long been normalized in her community.

“Lack of education, early marriage, girls being taken out of school - all of these things devalue women. Now I can explain this to the women around me,” she says. 

Gezici says she felt especially supported by Nefel Turga, a staff member at the centre. 

The environment that brought women together at the centre also touched the lives of the women around Yasemin Gezici. “Once I started going, I began to socialize again. I laughed, I talked. Then my mother, my cousins, my aunts started coming with me. We all have our own stories. When we talk, we realize we are not alone,” she says.

The Women’s Life Centre played a defining role in helping Gezici reconnect with life. She witnessed firsthand the healing power of solidarity among women. Today, she’s not only a participant at the centre but also an active volunteer. As a health mediator for girls, she shares what she has learned with women in her neighbourhood, raises awareness, and helps more women join the centre. 

The journey that began at the Women’s Life Centre has allowed Yasemin to carry hope for herself and for the women around her.

Implemented by the Association for Women’s Freedom and Equality (KÖVED) and Women’s Coalition in cooperation with the Adana Metropolitan Municipality Department of Women and Family Services, the Adana Women’s Life Centre reaches hundreds of women each month. It provides inclusive and accessible spaces for women, girls, and their families, offering psychosocial and legal counselling services, empowerment-focused workshops, skills-building activities, and community gatherings. 

The centre also offers facilities such as laundry areas, kitchens, children’s playrooms, and counselling spaces, equipped with essential equipment and furnishings provided by UN Women through the “Women’s and Girls’ Lifesaving Access to Protection Services in the Aftermath of the Earthquake” project, implemented with the financial support of the Government of Japan. This support helped meet the high demand from local communities and ensured the sustainable operation of the centre. 

KÖVED also operates another Women’s Life Center in Samandağ, Hatay, in cooperation with the Samandağ Women’s Solidarity Foundation.