Washington, DC – Wafa’a Bani Moustafa (far right), an active member of the Women’s Democracy Network (WDN), was elected to serve as Chairwoman of the Change Bloc in lower house of Jordan’s parliament. As chairwoman, she will lead a bloc of parliamentarians united by party and philosophy who help create legislative priorities for the parliament.

Moustafa’s election is a remarkable achievement as it is the first time a woman will chair a parliamentary bloc in the Chamber of Deputies. Women’s representation in the Jordanian parliament has been historically low, as women were not able to compete for office until 1989, and currently, women only represent 13 of the 120 legislators.

Committed to increasing women’s political participation in Jordan, Moustafa has been a long-time member of WDN’s Jordan chapter. With her support, WDN is holding a series of democratic governance trainings for the 13 women parliamentarians to ensure they have the skills necessary to effectively govern.

WDN congratulates Moustafa on her election and recognizes her commitment to improving societal attitudes towards women’s leadership.