Under the patronage of HRH Princess Basma Bint Talal, Head of the Jordanian National Commission for Women, the Gender -responsive Draft Budget (responsive to the needs of both women and men) was launched on Sunday, 4/4/2010. Her Royal Higness Princess Basma Bint Talal expressed, during the ceremony, expressed her optimism of the success of this important step in view of the great efforts that have been made and cooperation between public and private institutions to develop and launch this project. Her Highness explained that the gender-responsive draft budget is one of the basic guarantees to achieve justice, fairness and equality between men and women on the basis of the nature of their roles and needs to ensure a balanced development conducive to social progress and renaissance. His Excellency the Director General of General Budget Department Dr. Ismail Zaghloul delivered the speech of His Excellency the Minister of Finance Dr. Mohammad Abu Hammour, which referred to the launch ing of the Jordanian National Commission for Women for this project is considered as a translation of the directions contained in the National Strategy for Jordanian Women document for the years (2006-2010) ratified by the government, regarding the public and private institutions, each according to its field of competence develop the executive plans to achieve the objectives of this strategy, by taking into account the adoption of a gender perspective in policy-making and preparing the general budget of the state and budgets of governmental units.

HE Dr. Ismail Zaghloul said: The Ministry of Finance is always seeking for the latest developments and taking advantage of the best international experiences and practices that are consistent with the nature of the Jordanian environment, to ensure, through the General Budget Department and other affiliated departments the active participation and interaction as a strategic partner in the implementation of this national project, in order to empower women to assume the expected role through monitoring the financial allocations of related programs and projects, in preparing the general budget, to ensure the implementation of the gender-responsive budget which sensitive to the needs of both women and men and to ensure sustainability, and analyze the sufficiency of these appropriations and compatibility with national strategies and plans.

It is worth mentioning that the General Budget Department is currently working on showing activities and programs that address women's issues in the budgets of various government ministries and departments and following-up their progress and the achievement of their goals. The Director General added that the empowerment of Jordanian women in all areas of life, and allowing them to contribute effectively to the creation of sustainable community development in its holistic and integrated concept as a "shared responsibility", requires from all of us, men and women to work together in a scientific and pract ical methodology.

Of course, the success in achieving the objectives contained in the National Strategy for Jordanian women can only be achieved by entrenching community partnership between the public and private sectors on one hand, and between civil community organizations of their various activities and concerns on the other hand, reflecting the vision of His Majesty King Abdullah II Ibn Al Hussein in making Jordan modern and model enhancing the role of women and strengthen their participation in the process of working and building without discrimination or favoritism, and in all fields: economic, social and administrative, political, scientific and other.