Jordan Pushes Women’s Reforms Toward Jobs, Technology and Leadership

UN Women said it will continue supporting Jordan with policy advice, technical expertise, international practices, gender data and assistance in financing equality programmes.

Jordan's efforts to expand women's economic and political participation came into focus during a three-day visit by United Nations Under-Secretary-General and UN Women Executive Director Sima Bahous, who met government officials, lawmakers, business leaders, technology professionals, civil society representatives and development partners. The discussions centred on turning the country's Political, Economic and Public Sector Modernization Vision into practical improvements that women can experience through better employment opportunities, stronger workplace protections and a greater voice in public decision-making.

Political reforms create more room for women's leadership

Bahous held talks with Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Local Administration Walid Masri, Social Development Minister Wafa Bani Mustafa and members of the Inter-Ministerial Committee for Women's Empowerment, including ministers responsible for labour, transport, education, health, youth, environment and foreign affairs. She also met Senate Deputy Speaker Abdullah Nsour, members of the Senate's Women's Committee, House Speaker Mazen Al-Qadi, parliamentary committee chairs and Dima Jweihan, Acting Secretary-General of the Jordanian National Commission for Women.

These meetings highlighted reforms that have strengthened women's legal protections, economic opportunities and political representation, including the new Local Administration Law, which guarantees women at least 30 per cent of seats on municipal and governorate councils. The next challenge is making sure that these commitments influence who receives opportunities, who enters leadership and whose experience shapes public policy, since laws can open doors while sustained implementation determines whether women are genuinely able to walk through them.

UN Women said it will continue supporting Jordan with policy advice, technical expertise, international practices, gender data and assistance in financing equality programmes. Stronger evidence will help institutions track whether reforms are improving women's employment, leadership and participation, giving policymakers a clearer picture of what is working and where barriers remain.

Jordan's technology sector offers opportunity with a leadership gap

Women's employment in information and communication technology formed a major part of the visit because the sector has been identified as an important source of growth and skilled work under Jordan's Economic Modernization Vision. Women represent around 30 per cent of the country's ICT workforce, yet they occupy only 21 per cent of leadership positions, showing that entry into the industry does not always lead to equal opportunities for promotion or decision-making.

At Maysalward Games, a Jordanian mobile-game developer, Bahous met women working in game development, coding, testing and three-dimensional printing software. Their experiences brought a human perspective to the employment figures, revealing the technical knowledge women already contribute and the support they need to remain in the industry, build their careers and move into senior technical and management roles.

Conversations with technology companies focused on creating stronger links between education, professional skills and available jobs, while addressing workplace conditions that can push women out of the sector before they reach leadership. Clear promotion routes, supportive management, fair recruitment and access to advanced training can help companies retain skilled women and build a more diverse technology workforce.

Businesses turn equality pledges into measurable workplace change

Jordan leads the Arab region in adopting the Women's Empowerment Principles, with nearly 300 participating companies employing more than 100,000 people. UN Women works with these businesses through practical tools, technical advice and Gender Action Plans that help employers examine recruitment, pay, promotion, workplace safety and leadership opportunities.

The country's newly adopted National Gender Equality Seal for the private sector gives companies another way to convert public commitments into measurable institutional practice. Its value will depend on whether employers use it to examine workplace culture honestly, address unequal outcomes and demonstrate progress through evidence rather than treating equality as a symbolic promise.

Bahous also heard directly from Jordanian civil society organizations and members of the women's movement, whose knowledge remains essential to understanding the everyday barriers women face. Meetings with development partners explored continued investment in gender equality so that recent reforms are supported by the resources, partnerships and accountability needed to deliver lasting change across government, business and society.