Study reveals comprehensive approach for women’s economic empowerment

AMMAN — Women’s economic empowerment at the local level in Jordan requires a comprehensive approach that integrates empowerment with political and economic reforms, public sector modernisation and social protection, a local study revealed on Tuesday.

The findings were announced during the launch of “A Study on Women’s Economic Identity in the Governorates” by the Inter-Ministerial Committee for Women’s Empowerment (IMCWE) in cooperation with USAID’s Makanati Women’s Economic Empowerment and Leadership Activity.

Minister of Social Development and Chair of the IMCWE Wafa Bani Mustafa, who acted as patron to the event, said the study fell “within the framework of investing in promising sectors in accordance with the economic identity of women in each governorate of the Kingdom”.

Bani Mustafa pointed out that the results of the Labour Force Survey for the fourth quarter of 2023 implemented by the Department of Statistics (DoS) show an increase in the economic participation rate for Jordanian females ages 15 years and above by 15.1 per cent, compared to 14 per cent in the fourth quarter of 2022.

The minister reiterated the government’s commitment to advance women’s economic participation.

“The government has demonstrated its commitment to strengthening women’s economic participation by incorporating proven women’s empowerment policies and practices into the private sector as part of the executive plan for the Economic Modernisation Vision EMV,” Bani Mustafa told the gathering.

The minister added that investing in the strategy of the EMV and its priorities has increased women’s economic participation while also contributing to lower unemployment rates. 

USAID/Jordan Mission Director Leslie Reed told the gathering that by breaking down data by region, “we have the ability to move beyond generic solutions and to adopt more nuanced approaches that are tailored to the specific needs and dynamics of each community”. 

“We will be able to move beyond one-size-fits-all model; and, instead, design projects that are responsive, adaptive, and, ultimately more effective,” according to Reed. 

Reed stated that women’s economic empowerment “is not just a niche women-focused issue, but rather a pivotal aspect of every facet of Jordan’s development and prosperity”. 

“Whether our work is in healthcare, education, economic empowerment, resource management, or other sectors, identifying and addressing the impediments faced by women is a necessity rather than an afterthought,” Reed stressed. 

The bottom line is: Invest in women, and you will grow,” Reed said.

Senator Abla Amawi, who prepared the study, presented key outcomes stating that “our analysis of the EMV revealed that there are no guarantees of economic parity between the sexes as a primary goal.

“Women are largely absent from sector-level initiatives and targets except for the transformative manufacturing initiative,” Amawi explained.

One of the main challenges listed in the study according to Amawi, is “to double the percentage of female participation in the Jordanian labour market over the next decade as well as ways to identify job opportunities that must be created annually in various economic sectors”.

The study is a comparative analysis of women’s economic participation at the governorate level, according to a press statement by the organisers.

It aimed at understanding the unique challenges and opportunities for each governorate based on the labour market data, demographic data, and the data on job opportunities within the targeted sectors, the statement said.

This study will be utilised to produce technical recommendations and proposed scenarios to increase women’s economic participation in governorates and within the various economic sectors, the statement added.

Bani Mustafa told the gathering at the end of the one-day event that officials and members from the IMCWE in addition to Amawi will conduct visits to various parts of the Kingdom to “further discuss the study outcomes with community figures there”.