In Jordan’s November 2010 parliamentary elections, 10 percent of the seats were set aside for the 12 women in the country who gathered the largest percentage of votes. Women’s Democracy Network (WDN) member Salma Rabady is one of the 12 remarkable women who will serve in the new parliament.

Rabady, a member of the WDN Jordan country chapter, will represent the governorate of Ajloun. She was nominated by her tribe to run in the parliamentary elections, and has received great support from family members and her community during the elections campaign; especially her female family members who comprised the core of her campaign team and served as candidate agents during the elections.

For 40 years, Rabady has served the public sector as a school principal and a consultative member of the Council of the Ajloun governorate. She founded several civil society organizations and public works projects, and is a board member of a society dedicated to attracting businesses to the area. As a co-founder of the Jordanian National Forum for Women in her governorate, her involvement in the social and political life of the Ajloun governorate led her to be intimately acquainted with the needs of its citizens and communities, and made her acutely aware of the legislative needs of her constituency. Based on these experiences, she ran a campaign promising to address the issues facing her community.

Rabady first ran for office in 2003 and is thrilled at realizing her goals to represent her electorate in Ajlou and serving as an advocate for women. “Women don’t have a lot of control over their personal choices,” she says.

During her term in parliament, Rabady hopes to work toward empowering women to allow them to freely make those choices.