Amman: Minister of Social Development, Wafa Bani Mustafa, emphasized that investing in early childhood care and ensuring safe, healthy environments for children are crucial for working mothers and significantly enhance women’s economic participation.
Speaking at the event “Providing Safe and Quality Childcare Services for Working Women in Jordan,” organized by the World Bank, Bani Mustafa highlighted the focus of the women’s empowerment strategy within the Economic Modernization Vision launched by His Majesty King Abdullah II in June 2022. This vision aims to increase economic opportunities for women and integrate the women’s sector into the government’s performance and achievement monitoring system, with progress tracked monthly.
She noted that Jordan has achieved notable success in the Mashreq Program, which provides technical assistance to the Mashreq countries to enhance women’s economic empowerment, creating a supportive environment to boost women’s economic participation.
The nursery sector is a prio
rity in this plan to increase women’s presence in the labor market, she pointed out, adding that the ministry has simplified nursery licensing procedures, introduced waiting spaces for children up to 9 years old, and shifted from a licensing to a registration and oversight system.
Bani Mustafa stated that Jordan needs over 44,000 additional nurseries to meet demand, as estimated by the World Bank. Expanding formal childcare services could create at least 100,000 jobs in the paid care sector, benefiting many women seeking employment. Currently, about 77 percent of women in Jordan work in the care sector, with 40 percent desiring such roles.
The ministry supports charitable organizations in establishing nurseries by providing grants. Studies, in cooperation with the Ministry of Planning, have shown a particular need for more nurseries in district areas, she added.
Bani Mustafa called for collective efforts to invest in early childhood care and distribute childcare responsibilities to increase women’s labor m
arket participation and prevent their withdrawal due to marriage or childbirth. She emphasized the crucial role of the private sector in this initiative, which would positively impact the national economy.
The minister reviewed the study on women’s economic identity across the governorates of Jordan, noting disparities in economic participation opportunities among different regions. She praised national efforts in early childhood care, including the National Council for Family Affairs’ work in launching a national policy for early childhood in collaboration with relevant ministries and international partners.
It is worthy to note that the World Bank and the International Finance Corporation have introduced new programs to enhance women’s workforce participation. The “Enhancing Economic Opportunities for Women” program, funded by the World Bank, aims to support Jordan in implementing reforms to improve the legal environment, workplaces, and social conditions, thereby promoting women’s inclusion and retention
in the workforce, with a focus on providing safe, quality, and affordable childcare services.
The event saw participation from around 100 representatives from public, private, and civil sectors, aiming to raise awareness on improving childcare services in Jordan and addressing sector challenges.
Source: Jordan News Agency