SADAQA, ILO complete study tour to Norway

AMMAN — Women’s labour rights advocacy organisation, SADAQA, in cooperation with the International Labour Organisation (ILO) and the Royal Norwegian Embassy in Amman, organised a study tour to Norway from September 25-30 .

The tour focused on early childhood care models and policies that support families and reduce the care burden, two main components that have contributed to Norway’s high level of economic participation for women, according to a statement made available to The Jordan Times on Monday.

The study tour group learned how the Norwegian model provides support mechanisms for families, children, and daycares through drafting and implementing equality policies in order to promote and expand childcare facilities.

It also expands the umbrella of social protection for women and workers in the sector, with the goal of increasing women’s economic participation in Jordan, the statement said. 

The delegation included a number of officials, legal counsellors, and childhood experts including the Director General of the Social Security Corporation Hazim Rahahleh, Secretary General of the Ministry of Education Nawwaf Al Ajarmeh, the former Director of the Legislation and Opinion Bureau Fidaa Al Hamoud, Samar Odeh a representative from the Ministry of Labour, as well as early childhood experts, human rights advocates and representatives of the ILO and SADAQA.

The delegation met with leaders of labour and employer unions where they were introduced to the role these organisations play in negotiating rights for working families, setting equality policies for increasing women's economic participation, supporting childcare, and the importance of social dialogue and collective bargaining agreements.

This event was followed by meetings with officials of the Directorate of Education and Training in Norway so the delegation could learn about the implementation of national policies, regulations, objectives and frameworks. 

The study tour also included a meeting with the Director General and the team at the Norwegian Welfare and Labour Administration, who gave the delegation and overview of the different policies and schemes offered to parents, children and daycares. 

The delegation also had the chance to meet with Norwegian parliamentarians and officials from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs to discuss ways of furthering support for women’s economic rights and childcare portfolios in Jordan.

In addition, the Jordanian delegation members visited two daycare models (public and private), with the objective of learning from their experience and expertise in managing daycares, and early childhood development for ages 12 months and above.

Daycares in Norway are pioneering parts of the care sector due to the mechanisms and regulatory policies contribute to the advancement and professionalisation of the industry.

This visit follows a previous study tour to France, implemented by SADAQA and the French Embassy in Amman in 2019, which resulted in the amendment of two articles in the Labour Law and the Social Security Law, which in turn supported and enhanced working conditions for Jordanian women, the statement said.