Amman, April 21 (Petra)-- The General Federation of Jordanian Trade Unions (GFJTU), in partnership with the International Labour Organization (ILO), marked the conclusion of the first phase of an initiative titled "Union Power for a More Inclusive and Gender-Equal World of Work" on Tuesday.
The six-month project, supported by the Kingdom of Norway, aims to boost women’s participation in trade unions and integrate anti-discrimination and equality issues into Jordan’s national policies. The closing ceremony was attended by Labour Minister Khaled Bakkar, alongside lawmakers and representatives from official institutions and civil society.
GFJTU President Khalid Al-Fanatseh described the project as a milestone in promoting decent work and social justice. He affirmed the federation's commitment to advocating for equal pay, fair opportunities, and the eradication of workplace discrimination while strengthening unions' role in shaping national labour policies.
Reem Aslan, head of the ILO’s Decent Work for Women program, highlighted the digitalization of wages and employment contracts in the private education sector as a successful model of social dialogue. She called for expanding this approach to other industries to enhance transparency, protect workers' rights, and facilitate the transition from the informal to the formal economy in line with international labour standards and Jordan’s economic modernization vision.
The Norwegian Embassy’s Chargé d’Affaires, Birgitte Wessel, commended the trilateral cooperation between unions, employers, and the government. She noted that such partnerships have enabled the expansion of social investments, including childcare services and parental leave, which allow both men and women to build professional careers in a safe environment.
Dalia Al-Ississ, head of the Federation’s Women’s Committee, stated that the next phase of the action plan will focus on fieldwork across Jordan’s provinces to address challenges faced by workers directly.
The event featured the launch of an awareness training platform for private education employees and an advocacy campaign based on recommendations from the National Labour Conference held last November.
The ceremony concluded with honors presented to several women trade unionists and members of the federation’s women and youth committees for their contributions to the labour movement.
//Petra// AF
