Reem Abu Hassan

Ms. Reem Abu Hassan is a Jordanian attorney focusing on public policy, legislation and human rights.  Ms. Abu Hassan was the Minister of Social Development in Jordan from March 2013 until May 2016. The Mandate of the Ministry of Social Development (MoSD) includes social protection for vulnerable groups, poverty reduction, and regulating and empowering Civil Society.  The main beneficiaries of the services and programs of MoSD are the poor, disabled persons, the unemployed, the elderly, and victims of domestic violence, orphans and children of broken families, children in need of protection and juvenile offenders.  Before this ministerial post, Ms. Abu Hassan was the Secretary General of the National Council for Family Affairs (NCFA), a national body tasked with establishing policies to promote and support the family unit and to protect its members as well as advocating for early childhood development in Jordan.

A passionate advocate for the empowerment of women and the protection of children, she is currently the Honorary President of the Society for Protecting Family Violence Victims, a civil society organization working with juvenile girls in conflict with the law, and girls in need of protection as well as victims of domestic violence.

In 2006-2008, and as an advisor to the Minister of Justice, Ms. Abu Hassan established the Family Affairs and Human Rights Directorate at the Ministry of Justice.

A firm believer in proactive participation in public affairs, Ms. Abu Hassan served in the Jordan First Reform Initiative (2002), was a member of the Legislation and Justice subcommittee of the Jordanian National Agenda (2005), which aimed at devising Jordan’s reform strategy for the next 10 years.  She also participated in Jordan Together Reform Forum. (2006)

Ms. Abu Hassan is a founding and current member of the Jordan Chapter of the International Women’s Forum, and served as the President of IWF/Jordan for the period from 2006-2008.  IWF/Jordan is a non-governmental organization concerned with networking among women leaders and training young women leaders.  She was the chair of IWF Amman Cornerstone Conference May 2007. She sat on the board of the International Leadership Foundation (LF), the educational arm of the (IWF) after serving in the past as the Secretary of LF Board and the President of the Foundation.  Ms. Abu Hassan was instrumental in establishing the IWF chapters in Morocco, Turkey, Egypt and Lebanon.