Shereen, Jordan
“Through my work I can see how much I’ve helped people. I want to inspire other women and let them know they can do the same.”
Shereen, works for the Family and Childhood Protection Society, a WPHF-funded civil society organization in Irbid, Jordan.
“I have been with the Family and Childhood Protection Society since 2007, working to empower women, train youth, and rehabilitate women refugees. I have worked on several cases that have impacted the lives of women and children. I vividly remember instances where I’ve helped women refugees during very difficult times.
One case included helping a young pregnant girl filing for a divorce after two weeks of being married to an older man due to family pressure. We supported her throughout this stressful period, providing her with the chance to attend English and computer classes. We also reached out to discuss the negative consequences of a second marriage to her father, which allowed the young girl to finish her high school and university education in special education and go on to live independently.”
A mother of five children from a small village, Shereen’s work on empowering women in Jordan’s humanitarian sector has had a profound impact on not only her community, but her own family.
“I believe that my work is important because it changed me inside and out – I am more independent, fierce and open to new experiences.
Through my work I have learned how to better analyze and prioritize my own family’s needs. I can see how my work has impacted my children’s behavior in accepting everyone without judgement or holding stereotypical impressions against anyone. My children are actively involved in many of the CSO’s programs; my daughter regularly attends the youth activities. She has become very close to one of the Syrian refugee girls who is almost her age, and they are now life-long friends.
I have faced the usual stereotypes in this field; that because I am a woman I shouldn’t be doing this kind of work. But I do it because I am a woman and I am just as capable.”
Learn more about the grassroots work of women like Shereen and our partner Family and Childhood Protection Society in Jordan, and follow them on Facebook: @جمعية حماية الأسرة والطفولة
