This report is a baseline assessment of community-identified vulnerabilities among Syrian refugees living in Amman;; Irbid;; Madaba;; Mufraq;; and Zarqa. The purpose of this report is to identify urban Syrian refugees’ current coping mechanisms and any gaps in services available to Syrian refugees in Jordan. The research methodology is both qualitative and participatory in design;; drawing from the UNHCR tool for Participatory Assessment in Operations. This report presents only the data from household interviews;; baseline assessment;; and the follow-up focus groups conducted with community members. The number of households surveyed was 240;; with a total number of 1;;476 household members and 89 focus group participants representing 534 household members. The report proposed general recommendations and interventions to deal with the main highlighted challenges (cash assistance;; strengthening community links;; vocational training;; physical activities ...etc).

This report was compiled from the findings and case studies presented at a workshop held on 5-6 December 2004;; in Cairo Egypt. This report contains an overview on global trends and regional analyses;; implementing legislated quotas for women;; quota adopted by political parties;; methods on enhance women’s participation;; and the role of the international community and international instruments. The international IDEA had convened a series of regional workshops to gather qualitative data. The report also has 6 case studies about women’s participation and quota include comparative experiences with quotas;; address the culture challenges to women’s representation in the Arab world;; and point the opportunities that could be seized in order to meet those challenges.

This report provides an overview of the status of early childhood care and education (ECCE) in Jordan;; Lebanon;; Sudan;; and Syria. It examines the contextual factors influencing ECCE;; highlighting current policies;; challenges;; and strategies for improvement and expansion. The report underscores the paucity and limitations of available data. Findings show that ECCE services have improved but regional disparity and dominance of the private sector prevail. None of the four countries but Jordan has a full-fledged national strategy and policy on ECCE. Challenges identified include lack of qualified teachers;; societal misconceptions about the unique features of early childhood;; and lack of research-based studies. Innovative projects show that NGOs have been instrumental in addressing the needs of marginalized children.