The spokesperson for the Ministry of Labor, Mohammad Al-Zyoud, confirmed that one of the ministry's top priorities is to enhance the protection of women in the labor market and increase their economic participation.
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He added that, given the Ministry's significant focus on women, it established an independent directorate in 2006 under the name of the Directorate of Women's Labor and Gender Equality.
Al-Zyoud explained that the Ministry has always sought to improve the labor regulations to strengthen the protection of women in the labor market, enabling them to continue in the workforce without withdrawing from it.
He clarified that the Ministry has contributed to improving the work environment and enhancing women's protection in the labor market to increase their economic participation through several amendments made to the Labor Law in recent years, in addition to the development of certain regulations and amendments issued under it.
He pointed out that one of the major amendments to the Labor Law was the modification of Article (29), which added a clear definition of sexual harassment. This article also granted workers the right to leave work without notifying the employer, provided that they inform the Ministry of Labor within two weeks of leaving the job, while retaining their legal rights and compensation for any harm caused if subjected to assault, degradation, or any form of sexual harassment or assault as stipulated by current legislation.
Additionally, one of the amendments to the Labor Law was the modification of Article (69), which aimed to remove restrictions on women's employment that previously defined industries and jobs in which women were prohibited from working. To provide more protection for women in the workforce, gender-based discrimination was prohibited among workers, which could undermine the principle of equal opportunity. The Ministry also issued guidelines to protect pregnant and breastfeeding women, people with disabilities, and those working night shifts under this article.
He added that the Ministry issued guidelines for alternative institutional nurseries to ensure the care of children of working women and reduce their withdrawal from the workforce due to childcare responsibilities. Furthermore, to enhance the legislative framework supporting increased female participation in the labor market, a flexible work system was introduced to further increase women's economic participation.
Al-Zyoud affirmed that, to ensure a safe, healthy, and sound work environment, the Ministry worked on updating the occupational health and safety system, issuing new regulations and instructions for this purpose. He also highlighted the establishment of the "Himaya" platform, an electronic platform for receiving labor complaints from workers in the private sector. Complainants can choose whether their complaint is confidential or public.
He pointed out that the Ministry aims to contribute to increasing women's participation in the labor market through the National Employment Program, where 35% of the targets of the program are women with various educational qualifications from all governorates. Additionally, the Ministry has the "Production Branches Initiative," which operates 30 branches across the provinces, contributing to the employment of women, with approximately 82% of workers in these branches being women.
Regarding the new amendments to the Labor Law still under review by the Parliament, maternity leave has been extended from 70 to 90 days, and the termination of a pregnant woman's employment is now prohibited throughout her pregnancy, rather than only starting from the sixth month.
On the awareness campaign front, the Ministry has implemented several awareness campaigns aimed at educating female workers in the private sector about their labor rights, including those working in the private education sector. These campaigns also raise awareness about occupational safety and health regulations. The Ministry is also a partner in the Jordanian Committee for Wage Fairness to help educate women about their labor rights through the launch of three phases of the national campaign to raise awareness about the rights of workers in the private sector (Wa’i/Wa’iya).
