Y-PEER Jordan’s Interview: Youth Empowerment, SRHR, and Abortion Access in Jordan

Y-PEER Jordan is an officially registered youth NGO, established in 2008 under the umbrella of UNFPA and formalized in 2023 under the Ministry of Social Development. The Network was founded with the main goal of empowering youth and adolescents as agents of change. It focused on creating awareness among the youth on issues of reproductive and sexual health and rights. Created to provide a safe, non-judgmental platform for young people to discuss topics like reproductive health and human rights—areas where they often feel more comfortable talking to peers than adults.

MARA: Can you tell us about Y-PEER Jordan – when it started, why it was created, and what its main work is today?

Y-PEER Jordan is an officially registered youth NGO, established in 2008 under the umbrella of UNFPA and formalized in 2023 under the Ministry of Social Development. The Network was founded with the main goal of empowering youth and adolescents as agents of change. It focused on creating awareness among the youth on issues of reproductive and sexual health and rights. Created to provide a safe, non-judgmental platform for young people to discuss topics like reproductive health and human rights areas where they often feel more comfortable talking to peers than adults.

Today, our work brings together training, health education, community outreach, and civic engagement. We train young people through edutainment approaches (such as theater, role-play, and training-of-trainers) to help them pass on essential life skills to their peers. At the same time, we raise awareness around Sexual and Reproductive Health and Rights (SRHR) and work to prevent Gender-Based Violence (GBV), with a strong focus on youth-friendly and accessible messaging. A core part of our work takes place in refugee camps and vulnerable host communities, where we provide education and support tailored to local needs. Alongside this, we advocate at the national level for youth-friendly health services and policies. Today, Y-PEER Jordan operates as a professional network of trained youth leaders and volunteers working across peer education, SRHR and GBV awareness, digital advocacy, peacebuilding, and civic engagement.

Current leadership and partnerships include the Ministry of Health, the Higher Population Council, and the Royal Health Awareness Society (RHAS). It continues to be a cornerstone of UNFPA’s youth program in Jordan.

MARA: What does Jordan’s current abortion law say, and how well is it enforced?

In Jordan, the Jordanian legal framework is the governing authority for all decisions related to abortion. Abortion is regulated under the Jordanian Penal Code (Articles 321–325), which criminalizes abortion in general, whether performed with the consent of the pregnant person or by another party. Penalties are more severe when the procedure is carried out by a healthcare provider.

However, the law allows very limited exceptions under strict legal and medical conditions, including when there is a serious threat to the life or physical or mental health of the pregnant woman, in cases of severe fetal anomalies, and in cases of rape or sexual assault, subject to specific procedures and interpretations.

In such cases, abortion is not a personal or individual medical decision. It must be approved by a specialized medical committee, formed in accordance with legal procedures.

Despite these exceptions, it is important to emphasize that Jordanian law overall criminalizes abortion, and permitted cases remain highly restricted.

MARA: How easy or hard is it to get a safe, legal abortion in different parts of Jordan? What non-legal barriers stop people from getting care?

Access to abortion in Jordan largely depends on the procedures followed and whether the service is provided in a licensed, legal medical setting or through other means While abortions continue to occur outside the formal healthcare setting, they are not publicly acknowledged, officially reported, or systematically documented or monitored.

Legally, access may be possible under strict conditions and priorities, such as risks to the mother’s health or life, serious fetal health conditions, cases of rape or sexual violence, and the best interest of both parties. However, social stigma, stereotypes, limited awareness of available services, difficulty reaching them, and high costs remain major barriers particularly outside major urban areas making safe and legal access extremely challenging.

MARA: How do doctors and nurses in Jordan respond when someone asks about abortion or after-abortion care?

Healthcare providers have the right to exercise professional discretion in deciding which cases they serve, with the aim of protecting both the patient’s well-being and their own professional responsibilities. In abortion-related cases, many doctors express concerns about potential risks to their professional reputation, the long-term impact on their careers, and possible legal or social accountability.

Therefore, abortion decisions are not made by individual physicians, but rather through a medical committee, in line with formal legal procedures. Post-abortion care, however, is generally provided as part of standard medical responsibility to manage complications without discrimination.

MARA: What role do Y-PEER Jo and other NGOs play in giving information, counseling, or referrals?

Y-PEER Jo works intensively to ⁠raise awareness and provide health education on sexual and reproductive health, to deliver specialized trainings for healthcare workers to improve service quality and to address and reduce stigma and stereotypes surrounding SRHR services.

We have also focused on educating persons with disabilities about their sexual and reproductive rights in partnership with the Higher Council for the Rights of Persons with Disabilities, and building new trainers and peer educators to empower youth and strengthen advocacy efforts.

MARA: What changes to law, policy, or health services would make abortion safer and more available across Jordan?

Meaningful change requires working across multiple levels, including laws and policies, decision-makers, healthcare providers, and communities. Social change begins with education and rights awareness and requires significant human and financial resources for advocacy, while respecting the social context and operating within acceptable frameworks.

MARA: In five years, what would you hope Jordan’s abortion situation looks like?

Over the next five years, it will be essential to balance short-term priorities – such as raising awareness, improving service quality, and reducing stigma – with longer-term goals that include influencing policy, reforming procedures, and expanding access.

All guided by a clear theory of change, starting with education and ending with policy and systemic change.