The population of Jordan has increased rapidly over the last few decades, reaching 9.5 million by 2017. The population doubled more than 10 times within 55 years while most of the increase took place in the last 10 years. A key contributing factor to this population increase is the number of refugees from Syria - Jordan now hosts an estimated 1.3 million Syrians, of which 650,000 are registered as refugees. In Jordan, youth-friendly health services, sexuality education and child marriage are priority areas. Currently 20.4% of the population consists of youth and they face considerable challenges in addressing their Sexual and Reproductive Health (SRH) needs. This is partly because discussing Sexual and Reproductive Health and Rights (SRHR)-related issues openly within the Jordanian context is often difficult because of social norms and values. Furthermore, research addressing the knowledge gaps in these areas is limited and SRHR is not sufficiently addressed in current policies and legislation. 42% of those aged between 15 and 19 are unable to explain what reproductive health is. Adolescents lack information on puberty and sexual development and more than half of young females experience shock and fear at the time of their first menstruation. The majority of young men and woman aged 15-24 stated that the concept of reproductive health services only refers to family planning. Marriages involving females under the age of 18 in Jordan increased from 13.7% in 2010 to 18.1% in 2015, mainly due to an increase in the number of married Syrian females under the age of 18. 1 out of 10 Syrian females in Jordan marries under the age of 18 as Syrian refugee families often marry their daughters young to protect them from rape. Key Facts about Jordan What does Share-Net Jordan do? Share-Net Jordan is the knowledge platform on SRH in Jordan for all stakeholders in the sector. Through stimulating the sharing of existing knowledge among platform participants, the generation of new knowledge to address prioritized research area gaps, and the translation of knowledge into policy briefs, Share-Net Jordan promotes the application of knowledge in the field of SRH in line with the international reporting obligations to effectively inform on SDGs. Share-Net Jordan continues to build synergies among their members, partners, projects and programs both through their website, quarterly newsletter and via organizing round table and knowledge meetings. What is Share-Net Jordan?
Established in 2016, Share-Net Jordan is the knowledge platform on SRH in Jordan. The vision of Share-Net Jordan is that “people have the right to access high-quality health services and should be able to make informed decisions on their sexual and reproductive health”. Share-Net Jordan works to achieve this vision by acting under the three pillars of knowledge management, partner matchmaking and showcasing young researchers. Share-Net Jordan is hosted by the Higher Population Council (HPC) and has 43 individual members and 15 organisational members from sectors including academia, policy makers, practitioners and NGOs. The Higher Population Council is a specialised Jordanian semi-governmental agency which acts as the focal point for population-related programmes in Jordan. Share-Net Jordan conducts vital work for Jordanians and non-Jordanians - including Syrian refugees - giving specific attention to the areas of child marriage and teenage pregnancy, youth-friendly health services, sexuality education, gender-based violence and engagement with the private sector. a
What does Share-Net Jordan wants to achieve in the near future? Share-Net Jordan and its members see the urge and added value of organizing thematic meetings and knowledge sessions at moments when a certain theme is relevant. The Share-Net Jordan secretariat plays a pivotal role in organising the activities and needs support in financing its running cost. We aim to continue organizing knowledge exchange and to engage all key players within the SRHR field in Jordan. By actively bringing together the knowledge and experience of these stakeholders, new ideas and partnerships can be catalysed, allowing our good practices to become best practices. The estimated running cost of the Share-Net Jordan secretariat is around €80,000 per year. Share-Net Jordan is actively looking for investment, media and knowledge partners to help ensure the success of its activitiesbe saved and tens of millions of unintended pregnancies can be prevented if the SRHR needs of people in developing countries are fully met. and become part of the knowledge platform on SRHR as either a member or a sponsor. When joining Share-Net, you will not only be contributing to our mission and vision, but you will also be able to enjoy specific member benefits: Have free access to all the meetings that we organise. (Non-members participate at cost-price) Participate in our working groups or CoPs, which is exclusive for members. These groups are crucial for agenda setting, organising meetings and executing small research projects. For more information on the Share-Net Netherlands working groups and thematic groups please click here. Be elected in one of our governing bodies, the Steering Committee of the Netherlands or the Board of Share-Net International. All members are invited to our annual business meeting. Be eligible for our yearly call for proposals for the Share-Net International Small Grants facility. To learn more about the work of Share-Net Jordan and see how to become a member, please contact our Coordinator: ali.almetleq@hpc.org.jo or contact: sharenet.jordan@hpc.org.jo Join us! As a recently established knowledge platform, Share-Net Jordan has completed an impressive number of activities within the past two years. Particularly ground-breaking is their work focusing on youth-friendly health services in Jordan. Acting under the Share-Net pillar of knowledge management, Share-Net Jordan developed a Youth-Friendly Reproductive Health Services Policy Brief which represents a comprehensive framework of five policy recommendations for providing youth-friendly health services and addresses relevant obstacles. The policy brief identifies the needs of the Jordanian youth through analysing the current services provided as well as analysing stakeholders, gaps and challenges of service delivery. The policy brief also looks into the national, regional and international experiences in this field and highlights the need to focus on providing youth-friendly reproductive health services that meet the needs of adolescents. It states that the role of professionals and service providers in empowering the youth should be enhanced by raising their awareness and encouraging them to adopt positive attitudes and best practices in SRH resulting in reproductive health services that comply with international standards. In addition, Share-Net Jordan organised a roundtable discussion, bringing together 61 actors, to discuss the outcomes of the policy brief. The event was attended by a range of participants from various sectors including academia, government, NGOs and HPC staff. Next step for Share-Net Jordan are organizing workshops during which an action plan and standards for implementation will be developed. A success story
Addressing Youth-Friendly Reproductive Health Services in Jordan