AMMAN — Engineer Rana Al-Hajaya, from Al-Hasa in the Tafilah
governorate has achieved remarkable accomplishments in municipal work. Her
latest success: uniting six municipalities, starting from the southern Badia
region into one union.
اضافة اعلان
Early starts as a community leader
As a community leader, she has served as the mayor two
consecutive terms and has been a member of the governorate council for several
years.
In 2006, she established the first municipal union in the
Kingdom in 2006, comprising six municipalities from the southern Badia region,
The Jordan News Agency, Petra reported.
Hajaya is also a social activist who contributed to the
establishment of the first women’s association in Al-Hasa and initiated the
‘Pioneering Women’ movement.
In addition to her community work, she is a writer and a
member of the Women’s Committees Association and the National Committee for
Women’s Affairs.
A cornerstone in her development
She highlighted that her experience in municipal work and
public affairs has been the cornerstone of her development and important
gateway for greater involvement in political life.
Holding a master of science degree in water and
environmental engineering, a bachelor of science degree in civil engineering,
and a specialized diploma in refugee affairs, which has been the summation of
all of her experiences, putting education into practical practice.
She said, "The experience of municipal leadership and
public work taught me that serving the local community and daily engagement
with people's issues, assisting them in finding solutions, and striving to
establish projects and programs that contribute to the development of local
communities are what build trust between public officials and the people."
She believes that her involvement in public affairs over the
past years has proven to her the importance of quotas allocated for women and
the opportunities provided by the state for women's participation in the public
political scene, especially with the legislations passed in 2022.
She believes that these opportunities should be utilized to
have a role in the political and public arena.
Politics and motherhoodShe also highlighted the role of her mother, who was a
member of the municipal council in Al-Hasa in the early 1990s, and her success
in establishing a literacy program and teaching the Arabic language to women in
her town.
She also acknowledged the role of her father, a labor union
activist who was engaged in daily struggles with people's issues and demands.
Women in politicsIn 2003, the municipalities were merged, resulting in a
total of 99 municipalities. Elections were held at that time, with
approximately 46 women running for office.
Only 5 women won, and 98 women were appointed to ensure the
presence of at least one female member in each municipality. Only one female
mayor was appointed, and at that time, Al-Hajaya was the only one who was
appointed as the mayor of the Al-Hasa region.
Regarding her experience in appointment, Al-Hajaya said,
"It gave me the opportunity to stimulate my hidden abilities in building
trust with the members of my local community by combating administrative
stagnation in the municipality at that time and by ensuring the provision of
services and maintaining the cleanliness of the local environment. This
instilled in me the confidence and courage to run for the mayoral elections in
Al-Hasa in 2007 and win."
Regarding the political reform process and the legislative
package resulting from it, which was passed in 2022, Al-Hajaya called on women
to enhance their presence in the political and public scene and to utilize the
positive democratic atmosphere to reach decision-making positions.
She believes that the economic aspect poses a significant
challenge to broader women's participation in political and public affairs, and
overcoming it requires two things: empowerment and inclusion.
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