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Asma Khader

Asma Khader

(Jordan)

Asma Khader has over 40 years of experience as a specialized lawyer in human rights and legal protection of victims of human rights violations, is a civil society activist nationally in Jordan, regionally and internationally, and is a gender consultant and CEO for Sisterhood is Global Institute/Jordan (SIGI-I).

Khader had experience in education and journalism before she started her career as a lawyer in 1979. After graduating from Damascus University she participated actively in the Jordanian Bar Association for Lawyers within the Arab Lawyers Union and was the rapporteur for its women’s committee from 1982-1992. She has been a member of the Jordanian Women Union since 1976; President of Jordan Women Union president from 1993-1997; and, in 1998 she co-founded and was the chair of MIZAN – Law group for Human Rights until 2003. She was co-founder of SIGI-J in 1998 and its first president.

Khader is the co-founder and leader of many Jordanian and Arab non-governmental organizations (NGOs) and a member of the Royal Commission for the Drafting of the Jordanian National Charter. She played an important role as a member of the Royal Commission for Human Rights which was succeeded by the National Centre for Human Rights and appointed as a member of its Board. Her national appointments include Minister of Culture (2003-2005); Minister of State and the official spokesperson for the Jordanian Government (2013); Member of the Jordanian Senate (2013); Secretary General of the Jordanian National Commission for women (2007-2014); and Commissioner at the Independent Election Commission (2014-2016).

She has written and contributed to numerous books, papers, training manuals and lectures and provides key note speeches in different domestic and international forums and events regularly. She serves as an advisor, a member of advisory boards and board of trustees for many national, regional and international organizations such as The International Centre for Transitional Justice, International Centre for Human Rights Services, Equal Rights Trust, UNESCO Human Studies Centre in Beirut, Women Learning Partnership for Rights, Development and Peace, Human Rights Watch and World Movement for Democracy.