This story touched me in the fact that for so many years this country treated women as possessions. They were considered less than the animals in the field. Jordan has only the one woman district attorney. While reading this story it gave me hope that the women of Saudi Arabia are moving forward in more areas. Saudi women have been known for covering themselves and living in an era where women could be seen and not heard. They had no say in the life that they would lead. Everything was decided for them by either their father or their husband. This was not a country that was known for placing women in positions of power. Further into the story it details how women are in other positions of power and respect. There have been a number of changes since their American occupation. Chief District Attorney Barakat feels that this is a wonderful move forward for the women in Arab. They share a freedom that others look forward to enjoying. Please enjoy this story and to read more on it the web site is listed below.
Read more: http://www.foxnews.com/world/2010/12/09/jordan-names-woman-chief-district-attorney/#ixzz17lkEBh7OJordan Names First Woman Chief District Attorney
Published December 09, 2010 | Associated Press
Jordan on Thursday appointed a woman as chief district attorney of the country's capital, marking the first time a woman has held a top prosecutor's post in the pro-American Arab kingdom.
Ihsan Barakat, a 46-year-old judge and mother of two, will assume her post on Sunday, Jordan's Judicial Council said in a statement.
The council, which is the highest judicial authority in Jordan, said Barakat will lead a group of 60 prosecutors — which includes only one other woman — in the capital of Amman.
Only male district attorneys serve in other districts across Jordan.
Barakat, who has served as a judge on Jordan's appeals court for the past eight years, called her appointment "good news for women, not only in Jordan but across the Arab world, because it shows that there's no post confined to men in our societies."
"It will bolster women's role in society as a partner in building a better future," she said.
Women in Jordan enjoy more freedom in public life compared to their peers in Saudi Arabia. There are female lawmakers, Cabinet ministers, policewomen, secret service agents, air force pilots and businesswomen.
It is my hope that she is paid the same amount as prior Chief District Attorney. I am not sure if that is the case although I did try to see if there was more information about this story in other places. It is a desired move in the right direction. The job listed will give hope to girls all over with the desire to be more than a wife. This will open the door to their desire to go to school and be whatever they want to be when they grow up. Encouragement is a powerful thing. I am very happy for her, her family and the women of Jordan.
