Together for a Happy Family Campaign

The campaign, whose slogan was "Together for a Happy Family", was designed around the following messages:

• men should discuss family planning with their wives
• using family planning is consistent with Islam
• modern family planning methods are safe, effective, and reversible
• male and female children are of equal value, and
• using modern family planning methods enhances quality of life for the entire family.

Involving the royal family and religious and political leaders, both before the inception of the campaign and throughout its implementation, was a central campaign strategy. Highly respected people, organisers speculated, might be able to reach men more effectively. For example, to show his support for the campaign, His Majesty King Abdullah agreed to have a photo of the royal family on the cover of the NPC's family planning calendar, which communicated the campaign's messages through its nationwide distribution. Under the auspices of Her Royal Highness Princess Basma, who endorsed and launched the campaign, the Prime Minister and cabinet ministers appeared at major public events.

In addition, as part of a strategy to raise awareness among Jordanians who are unaware that Islam permits modern family planning methods, religious leaders participated in observational tours and family planning training in Egypt to explore the role they could play in the campaign. Islamic scholars wrote booklets informing readers that using family planning is consistent with the teachings of Islam. Religious leaders, the general public, mosque libraries, and Islamic centres were recipients of these booklets. Five TV and five radio spots that aired during prime time featured religious leaders expressing their support for the campaign. These leaders also discussed campaign themes during family programmes on Jordanian TV and radio, responded to questions from the audience, and wrote newspaper articles.

To mobilise local communities, project staff trained 40 "Triad Teams." A physician, religious leader, and social worker used a video, discussion guide, and brochures to conduct discussion sessions about campaign themes with community leaders. The community leaders further disseminated the campaign themes through efforts to discuss them with family, friends, and community members.

Through the four major daily Jordanian newspapers, the campaign launched a National Family Planning Contest that emphasised campaign messages. Grand prize offers were designed to encourage information-seeking behaviour and dialogue within and among families as part of an effort to answer the multiple-choice quiz.

Partnership was central to this campaign. Liaison officers represented their organisations in the campaign's steering committee, which met regularly. The officers actively participated in the campaign design workshop, collectively produced the campaign design document, and provided sustained monitoring, follow-up, and reporting on different activities.

Family Planning, Gender.

Husband opposition, religious prohibition, and health concerns markedly limited the use of modern family planning methods in Jordan before 1996. Researchers from Jordan and Baltimore conducted the first national survey on family planning knowledge, attitudes, and practices (KAP) in 1996. They found that lack of knowledge about the Islamic stance on the use of specific methods and limited knowledge about the safety, reversibility, and effectiveness of modern methods were two major barriers. The survey also revealed that large families and a preference for male children were social norms that influenced men's opposition to family planning use.