AMMAN, Jordan, March 14 (UPI) -- A U.N. report says nearly half of Jordanian women suffer physical abuse in the home, the BBC reported Monday.
The report is the first effort to statistically analyze violence against women in Jordan, U.N. officials said.
The U.N. study found that 42 percent of Jordanian women have been victims of physical violence, and even higher numbers endure sexual and verbal abuse at home.
The report also looks at how much involvement Jordanian women have in the country's political and economic arenas.
The study did find that more Jordanian women are running for the country's parliamentary elections than in the past.
U.N.'s goodwill ambassador in Jordan, Princess Basma Bint Talal, said women have achieved a great deal in Jordan, but much more needs to be done to encourage women to seek public office, to promote their participation in society and to protect them from harm.
