(MENAFN- Jordan Times) AMMAN — Deputising for Prime Minister Omar Razzaz, Minister of Planning and International Cooperation Mary Kawar on Saturday took part in the Mashreq Conference on Women's Economic Empowerment in Beirut.
The conference was organised by the World Bank Group, and came on the sidelines of the Arab Economic and Social Development Summit, a statement from the Planning Ministry said on Saturday.
Lebanese Prime Minister Saad Hariri, Jordanian Labour Minister Samir Murad, Secretary General of the National Committee for Woman Affairs Salma Nims and representatives of the parliaments, private sectors and civil societies from Jordan, Iraq and Lebanon attended the conference.
In a speech on behalf of Razzaz, Kawar stressed the importance of collective efforts to improve women's situation and empower them economically, socially and politically.
The conference coincided with the 40th anniversary of the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women and as Arab states initiate preparations for the 25 year review of progress in the implementation of the Beijing Declaration, the statement said.
Kawar noted the importance of the progress achieved in increasing the political and economic participation of women, as well as the achievements in improving the quality of services provided to women in the fields of education, health social affairs, among others.
'We cannot say that gender equality has been achieved; not only in our countries but on a global scale, therefore, we must continue to do more to revitalise international commitments and strengthen political will at the national, regional and international levels,' the minister said.
Kawar pointed out that Jordan still faces challenges that have a direct impact on all citizens — women and men alike. The challenges include modest economic growth, the rise in the rate of public debt to GDP, the limited volume of exports and the continued rise in energy prices, which have led to an increase in the unemployment rate.
Recognising the overall circumstances, the government has launched the Jordan Vision 2025 as a national strategy to set a path for the future, with a framework that will govern economic and social policies based on opportunities for all, according to the statement.
The government has also set its working priorities for 2019-2020 as a first step for the National Renaissance Project, which aims at harnessing the energies of Jordanians and meeting their aspirations for a better future, the statement added.
Minister Kawar stressed that the success of this process depends on the principle of equality of rights and duties between all Jordanians and genders. Success cannot be achieved without deep awareness and a serious and logical response to the urgent needs of women.
She added that studies have shown there are direct and indirect effects of weak participation among women in the labour market, including lessening the growth of GDP.
The statement added that the Jordanian Parliament also recently passed amendments to the Labour Law, which sought to remove obstacles that stand in the way of women's economic participation.
The amendments also endorsed paternity leave, workplace daycares and eased the rules regarding the right to work for Jordanians married to non-Jordanians, the planning minister said.
She said that these achievements were the outcome of continuous efforts of several years of active dialogue between civil society institutions, employers, workers, the government and Parliament.
'Although the road ahead is still long, there is political commitment and awareness of the importance of translating legislation into programmes, projects and indicators of success,' Kawar concluded.
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