GIZ, UN report examines barriers to women’s employment

AMMAN — A recent report titled “COVID-19 and Women’s Labour Force Participation”, revealed that certain rigid gender roles and social norms were among the key barriers to women’s employment in Jordan prior to the pandemic.

With the support of the German Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development, the Italian Agency for Development Cooperation and the Swedish International Development Cooperation Agency, the report was prepared by the Centre for Evaluation and Development for the German Agency for International Cooperation (GIZ), and the UN Entity for Gender Equality and the Empowerment of Women (UN Women).

The primary data in the report was collected from 1,118 women residing in six governorates, including: Amman, Aqaba, Irbid, Karak, Mafraq and Zarqa.

Launched during a ceremony on Wednesday, the study, which examines the general impacts of the pandemic on women’s economic participation, revealed that 39.25 per cent of women who experienced unemployment in Spring 2020 were laid off, while 32.83 per cent resigned and 17.8 per cent lost their jobs when their businesses shut down.

“Around the world, female entrepreneurs were disproportionately affected by the crisis,” UN Women Jordan Representative Nicholas Burniat highlighted during the launch ceremony.

Due to the crisis, women have had to pick up additional burdens related to their duties as caretakers, according to Burniat, who noted that a significant number of women left the labour force, thereby increasing the probability of falling into poverty.

Additionally, he said that women often work in jobs that are difficult to accomplish remotely, such as the educational, hospitality, domestic and care sectors, as well as in factories.

Head of Development Cooperation at the German Embassy in Amman, Kordula Mehlhart, said in her remarks that “women are key for sustainable development... Jordanian women are well educated, and are a crucial resource for the economy”.

Regarding feminist development policy, Mehlhart said that this approach is focused on all people worldwide, regardless of their gender and other personal traits. This policy seeks to tackle the root causes of inequality and injustice, she added.

Moreover, she added that the heavy toll brought about by the crisis exacerbated pre-existing challenges in Jordan, predominantly among which are labour market weaknesses.

She also highlighted Germany’s commitment to supporting Jordan’s economic development, noting that German projects in Jordan attach considerable importance to women’s economic empowerment.

Speaking on the importance of Jordanian women’s economic participation, Secretary General of the Labour Ministry Farouk Al Hadidi noted that “Jordanian women are a driving force for the local economy and development”.

The event featured two panel discussions which tackled the impact of social norms on women’s economic empowerment, and the modality through which employers can be supported in order to establish gender-inclusive work environments.

During the first panel session, Secretary General of the Jordanian National Commission for Women Maha Al Ali pointed out that there are certain social patterns and policies that govern the existence of equal opportunities for all.

The pandemic has had identifiable negative impacts on the economy. However “it has strengthened employers’ conviction that new measures and methods should be introduced in business models,” she added.

In conclusion, the report provides recommendations for policymakers and researchers aimed to improve women’s employability in Jordan, which include: The need to invest in appropriate fiscal and monetary policies and to revisit national policy frameworks to foster sustainable economic recovery.

Among the recommendations is also the need for tailored programmes and interventions to support women who have not returned to the labour market since the onset of the pandemic.