RSCN programme empowers women, conserves nature

AMMAN — Through its Socioeconomic Development Programme, the Royal Society for the Conservation of Nature (RSCN) is lighting the way for women’s contribution to a sustainable tomorrow.

The Socioeconomic Development Programme “weaves sustainability into the fabric of RSCN’s handicraft enterprises and facilities, and strives to make local communities more eco-conscious”, Othman Tawalbeh, director of protected areas at the RSCN, told The Jordan Times. 

Today, over 60 women are employed in RSCN’s 18 workshops across the Kingdom, according to the society. 

Tawalbeh, who is also the manager at the Ajloun Forest Reserve, said that 12 Jordanian women work in three Ajloun Houses which are part of the programme. In this way, the programme aims to enhance the economy through empowering Jordanian women in local communities.

These houses include the Soap House located in Orjan village, which uses local ingredients like pure extra virgin olive oil in its soap making. The other houses include the House of Calligraphy, located in Rasun Village, and the Biscuit House, also in Orjan village.

Moreover, among the programme’s key outputs are the Feynan Eco-lodge and the Azraq Lodge, the craft enterprises for the Azraq Villages, support of eco-tourism marketing and the construction of the Wild Jordan Centre in Amman, the RSCN website said.

“These workshops help conserve nature by providing new sources of income and employment for families in villages near RSCN nature reserves,” the website added, noting that RSCN workshops utilise natural assets to build resilience through sustainability-oriented objectives. 

“This programme embodies inclusivity, resilience and sustainability,” Tawalbeh stated, adding that the conservation of nature involves nature-related businesses, and the empowerment of women.

Speaking with The Jordan Times, Ghaziya Khsaba, who has been working at the Dana fruit-drying workshop since 1997, said that RSCN employs women from local communities with the aim “to lead positive change and advance sustainable and nature-based enterprises”.