The one day High Level Policy Forum on Gender was held under the patronage of her Majesty Queen Rania Al-Abdullah, January 14, 2007 in Amman, and brought together an audience of more than 200 composed of members of the Jordanian Cabinet, parliament, and civil society. The prime minister also announced the government’s plans to refer the Convention on the Elimination of Discrimination against Women (CEDAW) to Parliament for endorsement.

 

The Forum focused primarily on women’s economic empowerment and ways to expand female entrepreneurship. Findings from a 2005 World Bank study, titled:  A Country Gender Assessment: the Economic Advancement of Women in Jordan indicate that female labor force participation is one of the lowest in the MENA region despite the fact that Jordan has achieved gender parity in primary and secondary enrollment and has one of the highest educated females in the region.

 

Concept note

Forum Agenda

Forum Session Points

Introductory Remarks by Dr. Daniela Gressani, Vice President for the Middle East and North Africa Region of the World Bank

Closing Statement by H.E. Mrs. Suhair Al-Ali, Minister of Planning and International Cooperation English, Arabic

 

 

Related newspaper articles:

 

Al-Ghad newspaper:

• The High Policy Gender Forum Discusses Tapping into Women 
• Interview with Mustapha K. Nabli, Director, Chief Economist, MNSED

Al-Rai newspaper:

• The Queen: Jordan has the Political Capacity to Support Women in Achieving Progress
• Queen Rania Opens Forum Proceedings (Gender)
• Forum on Gender this Sunday

The Jordan Times :

• PM Reiterates Gov’t Commitment to Revise Discriminatory Laws

The World Bank:

• Government of Jordan committed to women’s political and economic empowerment