Recent Aid Agreements Provide Opportunity to Support Women in Jordan.
Published by The Washington Institute for Near East Policy.
New USAID funds and a pending strategy for enhanced development cooperation could facilitate reforms that foster a better economic environment for women, and for the kingdom as a whole.
On May 5, the United States and Jordan signed three agreements that will bring a total of $340 million in development funding to the kingdom, all overseen by the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID). Much of the aid is earmarked for projects aimed at increasing economic prosperity and self-reliance, with a particular focus on women and social gender policies. At the same time, USAID’s Jordan mission is currently formulating a new Country Development Cooperation Strategy for 2020-2025 that will likewise focus on economic development and women.
Previous USAID programs in Jordan focused on micro and small enterprises (MSEs), particularly home-based businesses, as a way to support women’s entrance into the labor force. Despite the merits of this approach, however, its overall impact was insufficient. To help women become more actively engaged in creating a stable, thriving, and prosperous Jordan, USAID should refocus on programs that challenge gender stereotypes, improve the private-sector labor market, reform the legal environment for women, and increase social services.
