IHRC Students Submit to UN CEDAW a Report on Jordan Regarding Honor Killings and Barriers to Women’s Autonomy in Matters Relating to Family Relations
On June 18, 2026, Fransheska Companioni-Daroch (JD 2026), Catherine Machado (JD 2027), and Anna Richardson (JD 2027) submitted a parallel report on Jordan’s compliance with the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination Against Women (CEDAW). The report was prepared in collaboration with Megan Mars, a Loyola alumna and former student at the International Human Rights Center, and her Colorado-based nonprofit, Right to Bloom.
The report examines Jordan’s compliance with Articles 2, 5, and 16 of CEDAW, focusing on the persistence of honor killings, discriminatory social and cultural norms, and barriers to women’s autonomy in matters relating to marriage, family relations, and reproductive rights. The report argues that honor killings remain a manifestation of entrenched patriarchal attitudes that continue to place women and girls at risk of violence despite legislative reforms. It calls on Jordan to strengthen protections against gender-based violence, improve reporting and data collection, and eliminate discriminatory legal and social practices. It also calls for the expansion of support services for women at risk and the reconsideration of criminal penalties related to abortion.