EuroMed Feminist Initiative (EFI), Business Development Centre (BDC), Tamkeen for legal aid and human rights and SADAQA have completed the “Towards stronger economic participation of women in Jordan” program (2021-2024), which is funded by the European Union (EU). The closing ceremony aimed to highlight the main achievements of the program, share lessons learned and best practices, success stories, and discuss recommendations for future programs promoting women’s economic participation in the country.

The program featured a panel discussion with the participation of BDC, Tamkeen and SADAQA who shared the achievements in supporting existing employment procedures benefiting women, provision of incentives, enhancing capacity building and supporting home-based businesses projects, providing transportation, and support of daycare centers. These are all linked to addressing practical barriers to women’s economic participation, the implementation of the Engendered Strategy for Jordan’s Economic Modernization Vision (EMV) and the National Employment Program.

The program has also supported eight Women’s Economic Empowerment Units (WEEUs) that were established at municipality levels to integrate women, especially those from marginalized backgrounds, into the development process. Furthermore, Community-Based Organizations (CBOs) received funds and implemented their own projects promoting women’s economic participation at the local level.

Other panels also featured female beneficiaries who shared success stories and best practices. They highlighted the positive results of running daycares and nurseries, the women workers’ bus services provided in the agricultural sector in the Jordan Valley, the work of the WEEU that was enabled through the program support, as well as several projects and Home-Based Businesses established with seed funding and mentoring.