Rana Husseini an Internationally recognized and award winning journalist and human rights defender received Al Hussein Decoration Medal – Second Order with achievements from His Majesty King Abdullah, King of Jordan.
King Abdullah bestowed medals to a total of 28 Jordanians with distinguished records in various walks of life including administration, academia, business, art, media, medicine, education, judiciary and social work.
Rana Husseini was honoured for her tireless efforts in the field of human rights and defending the rights of women in her country. Husseini, who has been working as a reporter for The Jordan Times since September 1993, has won six international awards for her efforts in human rights and drawing national and international attention to the practice of "honour killing".
Husseini, a multiple award winner, was selected by the international women's magazine Marie Claire in 2004 as one of the top 10 women of the world for her work in highlighting the plight of women murdered by male relatives for suspicion of adultery or fornication.
She also won Reebok Human Rights Award in 1998 for reporting on violence against women in Jordan. She is currently writing a book on the topic.
Other awards include the The Ida B. Wells Award for Bravery in Journalism, Spanish Ciutat de L'Hospitalet Award for the Defence of Human Rights and Peaceful Coexistence for work on championing women's right issues in Jordan, and Human Rights Watch Award granted for the overall reporting and activism against violence against women in Jordan.
The King presented the medals, to the excelling individuals during a ceremony held at Raghadan Palace in Jordan.
As a Jordanian woman journalist writing for The Jordan Times, Husseini focused on social issues with special emphasis on violence against women, as well as the brutal crimes that are committed against Jordanian women in the name of family honor.
Her coverage of and dedication to ending this unjustified practice against women helped raise national awareness on a topic that is traditionally considered taboo. Until The Jordan Times began reporting on crimes of honor, the local press shied away from addressing the issue. The Government responded by introducing legal changes that suggest tougher punishments for perpetrators of such crimes.
In addition to her extensive experience in the journalism field, Ms. Husseini has conducted several consultancies and advocacy for women’s rights in the Middle East and Jordan with local NGOs and international organizations. She has served as special advisor to Freedom House on women’s issues and press freedom in Jordan.
She also worked as a regional coordinator for the United Nation's Development Fund for Women (UNIFEM) campaign to eliminate violence against women in five Arab countries. She worked as a regional consultant for UNIFEM regional office in Amman and Equality Now in the U.S. conducting research on human rights violations against women and children in seven countries in the Middle East.
