Public transportation shortfalls cited as reason behind low women’s workforce participation

By Rana Tayseer - Aug 24,2023 - Last updated at Aug 24,2023

A recent study by the Tamkeen Center for Legal Aid and Human Rights and the Business Development Centre cited a lack of decent transportation as a main reason for women’s withdrawal from the labour market (File photo)

AMMAN — The lack of decent transportation is one of the main reasons for women’s withdrawal from the labour market, according to a recent study by the Tamkeen Center for Legal Aid and Human Rights and the Business Development Centre.

The study was conducted under the auspices of an EU-funded project aimed at enhancing women’s economic participation in Jordan. Tamkeen’s report cited the lack of a women-friendly work environment along with a lack of reliable transportation as primary reasons for women’s withdrawal from the labour market.

A lack of nurseries for the children of women who work was also identified as a barrier to women’s workforce participation. Private nurseries are often unaffordable, especially considering the gender wage gap and poor alignment between education outcomes and job requirements, according to the study.

While many women work in the education and healthcare sectors, the tendency for females to enter the labour market is still below the required level, despite the government and Social Security Institution’s efforts to increase women’s participation, such as financial support for daycare.

The study also examined the lack of access to public transportation as an obstacle to women’s economic participation. Although many women regularly use public transportation, they continue to face transportation barriers.

Economist Wajdi Makhamreh told The Jordan Times on Thursday that “The difficulty of having good transportation, especially in the winter season, is one of the causes of unemployment and contributes to the withdrawal of women from the labour market”.

Laila Al Tarawneh, who lives in Madaba and works in Amman as a teacher, said that she gets up every day at five in the morning and leaves her house at six in order to reach school on time.

“I have difficulty using public transportation, and I do not feel safe moving from my home to my workplace in the morning, in addition to its high cost,” she said.

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