Rawabdeh affirms key support to women’s economic contribution

Amman: Minister of Labor, Nadia Rawabdeh, said supporting women's engagement and contribution in Jordan's various economic fields and valuing their achievements is "a basic and urgent" necessity for achieving sustainable development. In a dialogue session Thursday entitled "Supporting Change Makers for a Women-driven Economy," organized by JoWomenomics, Rawabdeh noted the Economic Modernization Vision (EMV) presented by the government focused on "increasing" women's participation in the labor market to achieve economic growth. The EMV, she affirmed, called for improving the environment that allow women to obtain a "better" job opportunity and double their participation in economic life to 28% over the next ten years. Rawabdeh said the ministry aims to contribute to increase women's participation in the Kingdom's labor market through the National Employment Program, eyeing to make 35% of its target beneficiaries countrywide from women with various academic qualifications. The minister added that Productive Branches Initiative has so far launched 28 offices nationwide that contributes to women employment, as the rate of female workers in these branches during the past year reached about 82%. Through the Development and Employment Fund, she said the ministry provided funding to support women's projects within "Women Empowerment" Program to enable them establish their own new project to contribute to improve their living standard and economic independence. This effort, she said, aims to encourage women work "independently" to achieve self-employment and increase the percentage of female entrepreneurs. At the opening of the session, Rawabdeh greeted Jordanian women on the occasion of International Women's Day, which falls March 8. She indicated that this occasion signals "respect and appreciation for women's efforts throughout the year to serve their family, their community, and their country." Source: Jordan News Agency