UNDP Jordan Hosts Seminar on Gender Integration in Coastal Management

Aqaba: The United Nations Development Program (UNDP) in Jordan, with the support of the Norwegian Embassy in Amman, and in collaboration with the Aqaba Special Economic Zone Authority (ASEZA), convened a consultative session aimed at advancing gender integration in coastal environment management. During the gathering, Mayyada Abu Jaber, the UNDP's gender advisor, emphasized the paramount importance of incorporating the perspectives and experiences of women and men into the core of the process of designing, implementing, monitoring, and evaluating policies and programs across political, economic, and social domains. This approach ensures equitable benefits for both genders, thereby contributing to the eradication of all forms of gender discrimination, she added. The primary objective of integrating gender into the comprehensive management of coastal zones is to promote gender equality, aligning with the fifth goal of the Sustainable Development Goals, she said. Abu Jaber highlighted the current disparity in women's participation in the labor market, which stands at a mere 14.9 percent according to recent statistics. Addressing this issue necessitates concerted efforts to enhance women's participation and empowerment across all sectors. This entails establishing indicators and incorporating gender integration policies within the plans and strategies of both public and private institutions, she stated. Source: Jordan News Agency