Tamkeen launches awareness campaign on gender-based violence with emphasis on agricultural sector

AMMAN — The Jordanian non-profit organisation Tamkeen for Legal Aid and Human Rights (Tamkeen), launched an awareness campaign highlighting the issues of violence against women and focusing on females employed in the agricultural sector.

Organised as part of the global 16 Days of Activism against Gender-Based Violence, the campaign seeks to raise societal awareness about gender-based violence in the agricultural sector, as a way to promote women’s economic security and participation in the local labour market.

“Women in agriculture are exposed to difficult working circumstances,” Director of Tamkeen Linda Kalash told The Jordan Times. “Having women-focused campaigns is crucial…and focusing on women workers who are employed in the agriculture industry is important as well because it educates people and heightens awareness of the harsh reality they face.”

Despite being a key contributor in agriculture, women do not receive a stable source of income and are not included in social security, Kalash said. 

A Tamkeen statement said that “the majority of women in the agriculture and agribusiness industries suffer from low pay which they usually receive on a daily basis, amounting no more than JD1.5”, noting that there are persistent deficits in the sector’s occupational safety and health conditions, which makes women more vulnerable to violence.

Transport yet is another burden for women in agriculture, whereas they are usually transported by vehicles used for carrying farm tools and implements, according to a Tamkeen statement.

The campaign also tackles gender-based violence facing women and girls in Gaza who are at a higher risk of exposure to violations amid the ongoing war, the Tamkeen statement added.