Amman, 23 July 2025 - The "Conversation Clubs" for women and girls began in June 2025 and will continue throughout the summer, moments of training and conversation aimed at countering gender-based violence, organised by the Italian NGO Un Ponte Per (UPP) as part of the "Masahat Aamina" (Safe Spaces) project, now in its second phase and made possible by funding from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation (MAECI) through the Italian Agency for Development Cooperation (AICS).

The clubs aim to provide dedicated opportunities for women and girls to meet within the safe spaces created through the project, where participants can share experiences, challenges and perspectives on issues such as social inclusion, mental health, gender roles and community dynamics. The innovative programme at this stage focuses on gender-based violence facilitated by technology - a growing challenge in Jordan that disproportionately affects women and girls.

The meetings, organised in the governorates of Amman and Zarqa in northern Jordan, shed light on the different levels of acceptance and support within the community, as well as the obstacles women and girls face in expressing their concerns, particularly with regard to family expectations and social pressures. Through practical workshops, the club introduces participants to useful mobile applications and ways to protect themselves from cyber-crimes and violence. It also promotessafe access to non-stigmatising support services in case of violence through the hotline and with anti-violence workers in sheltered spaces.

The insights gathered from these sessions are essential for defining future programmes and interventions that UPP will implement in the country, and aim to support women and girls to promote a more inclusive and supportive community environment, as well as to improve their capacities for self-protection and raise community awareness on the intersection of gender-based violence, disability and specific aspects such as the use of new technologies. These interventions also aim to provide clear indications of available protection services and existing guidance pathways to accompany those reached in their pathways of emancipation and escape from violence.

The 'Masahat Aamina' project, active in Jordan since the summer of 2024, is part of a broader intervention that UPP, together with AICS, has been carrying out in the country for many years, aimed at supporting women, girls and people with disabilities in refugee and host communities.

Thanks to close cooperation with its local partners (Athar, Our Step and SIGI), Un Ponte Per continues to provide essential services and activities in the safe spaces that were built in the first phase of the project, which, between November 2024 and June 2025 reached a total of 7,208 people, including 4,558 women, 2,650 men, 793 girls, 661 children and 346 persons with disabilities. With the technical support of UPP, partners Athar and SIGI expanded and continued to provide social case management and child protection services. In addition, four hotlines for women and persons at risk are in operation.

The project plans to continue by further strengthening the basic services provided: management of detected cases of violence, psychosocial support, mental health services, maintenance of safe spaces and community-wide awareness-raising campaigns, as well as free legal assistance and economic support for the self-protection of the most vulnerable through income-generating activities.