The International Labour Organization (ILO) Decent Work for Women Programme has launched the project "Equality at Work: Advancing a Healthy, Safe, and Diverse Labour Force in Jordan (2024-2027)." This initiative aims to promote a decent work environment, gender equality, and workers' rights, in accordance with national legislation, priorities, and international labour standards.
The project, implemented by the ILO programme in collaboration with the Embassy of the Kingdom of Norway in Jordan, takes into account the priorities of the tripartite constituents (government, employers, and workers), drawing on the objectives and standards of the National Strategy for Women, its action plan, and the Economic Modernisation Vision.
The project also renews the strong partnership in Jordan between the ILO and the Government of Norway (GoN), established in 2014, as well as with national partners, international organisations, and civil society institutions.
It was launched at an event held on Monday, 12 August 2024, under the patronage of the Norwegian Ambassador to Jordan, Espen Lindbæk, and was opened on his behalf by Hanan Shasha, alongside Reem Aslan, ILO Gender Specialist and Manager of the Decent Work for Women Programme. Both speakers emphasised the importance of the partnership between the ILO and the Kingdom of Norway. Aslan also highlighted key achievements of the programme over the past years and presented the framework and core components of the new project.
The event featured three panel discussions covering project components, during which participants exchanged insights, ideas, best practices, and lessons learned from successful partnerships. They also explored how existing achievements can guide future activities and strengthen ongoing cooperation with partner entities, both nationally and internationally.
© ILO/ Salman Sami/ August 2024/Amman, Jordan Decent work
The first session focused on promoting decent work through a supportive legislative framework and enhancing the institutional capacities of national partner entities. The speakers included Mohammad Tarawneh, Director-General of the Social Security Corporation (SSC); Nezam Qahoush, consultant for the General Federation of Jordanian Trade Unions (GFJTU); Tariq Tarawneh, head of the Department of Private Education at the Ministry of Education (MoE); Riham Al-Hadid, head of the Directorate of Women and Gender at the Ministry of Labour (MoL); and Murad Al-Qadi, head of the Policies and Monitoring Department at the Jordanian National Commission for Women (JNCW).
Session recommendations highlighted the need for a comprehensive analysis of legal gaps related to gender equality, the development of joint social protection programmes with the ILO focusing on maternity, early childhood, the elderly, and persons with disabilities, while considering the experiences of developed countries and replicating the Norwegian model, which was studied during educational visits in collaboration with the SADAQA Foundation. The session also underscored the importance of facilitating access to donor support through the ILO.
Furthermore, the session addressed the need to activate social dialogue among the three production parties, as well as the role of the Women's and Youth Committees within the GFJTU, with an emphasis on trade union leadership through training and capacity-building programmes. The recommendations included supporting special education centres and elderly care facilities, activating the electronic platform for the unified contract for workers in private schools and kindergartens, and conducting a study on working conditions in the health and agriculture sectors, which employ a significant number of female workers. Additionally, the session stressed the importance of continuing joint efforts on the national document to combat violence and harassment in the workplace, the educational training platform, and the well-being at work survey.
© ILO/ Salman Sami/ August 2024/Amman, Jordan Care economy
The second panel discussion focused on improving working conditions within Jordan's care economy. Participants included Rizan Al-Kurdi, head of the Equal Opportunity Unit at the Higher Council for the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (HCD); Buthaina Al-Yaseen, head of the Women's Empowerment Unit at the Ministry of Social Development (MoSD); Mohammad Khrais, head of the Research and Studies Directorate at the SSC; and Randa Naffa, a member of the executive team at the SADAQA Foundation.
The session produced several key recommendations, including the need to enhance the competencies of workers in the nursery sector, particularly those who work with children with disabilities. It also emphasised the importance of conducting awareness sessions through trade unions to challenge stereotypes surrounding the employment of persons with disabilities, their integration into the development process, and their economic empowerment. This is particularly crucial as many individuals with disabilities do not receive academic education and instead pursue vocational training through the Vocational Training Corporation (VTC).
The session further highlighted the necessity of ongoing legislative review and addressing of legal gaps, following the recent amendment of nursery regulations, which expanded nursery registration. This development calls for improved skills among workers in the sector and higher quality services. Additionally, the discussion covered the implementation of recent legal amendments, particularly those related to harassment and night work, to ensure a safe work environment free from violence and harassment, as well as ensuring wage equity between genders. The formalisation of care professions under the 2024 Social Development Law was also discussed, based on clear work standards that enhance the value of these roles in the labour market.
Participants agreed on the importance of coordination and integration among stakeholders in the care sector, ensuring that joint efforts between sector institutions and the ILO align with international labour standards in preparation for their ratification. Particular attention was given to the Maternity Protection Convention, 2000 (No. 183), and the Workers with Family Responsibilities Convention, 1981 (No. 156), following an assessment of labour market challenges, including the informal economy, which comprises approximately 52 per cent of the workforce.
© ILO/ Salman Sami/ August 2024/Amman, Jordan Digital transformation
The third and final session focused on empowering women workers and employers through digital transformation. Participants included Rowan Abu Sull, head of the Women's Economic Empowerment Section at the Directorate of Women and Gender at the MoL; Amr Al-Ahmad, from the Payment Systems Department, Local Banking Operations and Financial Inclusion at the Central Bank of Jordan (CBJ); Musab Matarneh, head of the Private Educational Institutions Formation Section at the Ministry of Education (MoE); Mundher Al-Sourani, President of the Private Schools Owners' Association (PSOA); and Nariman Al-Shawahin, one of the coordinators of the "Stand with the Teacher" campaign.
This session emphasised the role of digital tools and platforms in enhancing the world of work, their impact on workers and employers, and the opportunities digital transformation provides to increase women's economic participation. The discussion covered digital tools being developed by the ILO in collaboration with national partners, such as the "Logib" wage transparency tool in cooperation with the German Agency for International Cooperation (GIZ), Jordan's National Committee for Pay Equity (NCPE), and the "Hemaya" platform at the MoL. It also discussed the electronic platform for the unified contract in private schools, currently being developed by the ILO in collaboration with General Trade Union of Workers in Private Education, and the MoE. The session underscored that all these digital tools and platforms will not function effectively without regular performance monitoring and linking them to relevant institutions, such as the CBJ.
The ILO Decent Work for Women Programme provides vital technical support for the government, employers, workers, national women's affairs bodies, and civil society organisations, effectively collaborating with all stakeholders. These efforts are well institutionalised and nationally endorsed, as outlined in key national documents and workplans such as the National Strategy for Women and the Economic Modernisation Vision. The new project aims to promote gender equality, safety, diversity, and inclusion in the workplace by strengthening supportive policies and laws, fostering social dialogue, and building institutional capacities. Additionally, it seeks to create sustainable opportunities to empower women, persons with disabilities, migrant workers, and Syrian refugees, enabling them to access decent work, thrive, and advance in their careers.
