The General Federation of Jordanian Trade Unions and the International Labour Organization (ILO) signed an agreement today, Tuesday, to implement a project titled “Union Power for a More Inclusive and Gender-Equal World of Work.” The project will last six months and aims to enhance women’s union participation and ensure the integration of equality and non-discrimination issues into national policies.

According to a statement from the federation, the agreement was signed by the federation’s president, Khaled Al-Fanatsah, and the ILO’s country coordinator in Jordan, Dr. Amal Muwafi, in the presence of the director of the Decent Work Program for Women, Reem Aslan, project team members, and federation representatives.

Al-Fanatsah confirmed that the project represents the fruit of an extended partnership with the ILO, based on shared goals to develop labor legislation, expand social protection, and promote decent work standards. He pointed out that the project aligns with the federation’s strategic plan aimed at increasing women’s access to union leadership positions and enhancing their presence in union work.

For her part, Muwafi emphasized the importance of the partnership with the federation at this stage, describing it as a reflection of a joint commitment to support workers and promote a more inclusive and just work environment. She praised the federation’s expertise and its ability to reach the most vulnerable groups, including women, migrant and refugee workers, and persons with disabilities.

She expressed hope that the project would contribute to raising awareness of rights, enhancing women’s union participation, and ensuring the integration of equality and non-discrimination issues in social dialogue and national policies.

Aslan explained that the project includes holding social dialogue sessions with the tripartite production parties (government, employers, and workers) and other partner entities on key topics such as care economy, combating violence and harassment in workplaces, empowering women in leadership positions, as well as the green economy and just transition.

She added that these sessions will result in policy papers containing recommendations at the policy and legislative levels, to be discussed during a national conference on international labor standards, alongside conducting legal awareness sessions for female workers in various economic sectors and monitoring the work of the unified electronic contract platform in private education.

This cooperation comes within the framework of the “Equality at Work” project funded by the Government of the Kingdom of Norway and implemented by the ILO’s Decent Work Program for Women.