Amman, Sept. 29 (Petra) - The Social Security Corporation (SSC), the International Labour Organization (ILO), and the World Bank hosted a dialogue session on Tuesday to discuss expanding maternity insurance and childcare support systems.

Acting SSC Director General Shaman Majali stated the importance of adapting social security policies to better serve working mothers and boost women's economic participation.

Women currently represent 28 percent of Jordan's active social security contributors, accounting for 458,811 of the 1.67 million total insured workers.

Majali shared key statistics on maternal support: - Maternity insurance: 91,587 female workers received maternity benefits since the program's inception, including 11,969 beneficiaries last year and 9,390 so far in 2026.

- Childcare support (Ri'aya): 38,401 mothers benefited cumulatively from home care and nursery support services, with enrollment growing from 4,835 beneficiaries last year to 4,976 this year.

ILO’s Decent Work for Women (DW4W) program head Reem Aslan lauded Jordan's maternity insurance as "vital" for protecting women's health and economic standing.

She noted that international labor standards view maternity protection as a holistic mix of healthcare, income security, and family support.

Session participants reviewed research on the maternal support system, focusing on potential policy changes, such as modifying eligibility criteria, increasing maternity compensation, and expanding access to subsidized childcare.

//Petra// HA