Finland partners with UN Women to promote women’s economic empowerment

AMMAN — UN Women and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Finland on Tuesday announced a new phase of partnership to promote the resilience and empowerment of Syrian refugees and vulnerable Jordanian women and girls.

According to a statement issued by UN Women, the partnership will focus on supporting women to enter and remain in the labour force by providing a combination of livelihood, education and civic engagement opportunities, coupled with gender-based violence prevention and protection services offered through the UN Women “Oasis” model.

Finland’s support of 2 million euros to the new phase is a continuation of Finland’s partnership with UN Women since 2014 to provide vulnerable women in Jordan with economic opportunities, read the statement.

“When women join the workforce, everyone benefits. In economic terms, female participation in work life will not only empower women themselves, but also bring benefits to society as a whole, not least to GDP growth of the country,” Tarja Fernández, Ambassador of Finland to Jordan, was quoted in the statement as saying.

Implemented in partnership with the Ministry of Social Development, this initiative will directly engage more than 480 women annually in Zarqa, east Amman, Karak, Maan, and Tafileh, as well as Syrian refugee women living in the Zaatari and Azraq refugee camps, according to the statement.

In support of Jordan’s priorities to promote women’s economic empowerment, the initiative seeks to strengthen women’s access to the labour market by addressing some of the key barriers they face, such as the availability of safe transportation and childcare facilities, as well as by promoting access to decent employment conditions and working closely with the community to build support for women’s economic engagement, according to the statement.

“Our goal is not only to ensure access to services for vulnerable women but also to foster their active participation in their communities and opportunities in the job-rich growth sectors of the future, especially around innovation and technology,” Ziad Sheikh, UN Women Jordan representative, said in the statement.

In 2012, UN Women opened its first Oasis centre in the Zaatari refugee camp as a safe space for refugee women and girls, the statement said, adding that the model has evolved over the years “into what is now a centre for building women’s resilience and empowerment through access to multi-sectoral services, while also engaging men and boys in dialogue and mobilisation for social equality.”

As a result of the services accessed in the Oasis centres, women reported they were able to generate an income, increase their participation in household decision-making, improve household nutrition, and increase their sense of leadership, community engagement and empowerment, the statement concluded.