Ten companies in Jordan have become the first to be designated as ‘women-friendly’ environments as part of a groundbreaking new initiative to create workplaces free from gender discrimination and harassment, led by Jordanian women and supported by ActionAid and its local partners, Maal Center and Al Hayat Rased.
Businesses and organisations in Jordan can now be awarded the Women-Friendly label if they demonstrate that they protect and promote women’s rights in the workplace to a high standard.
The criteria for earning the label include training female employees about their rights, implementing systems for reporting sexual harassment, and providing a safe space for women.
Jordan has one of the world’s lowest levels of women workers, with female participation in the workforce standing at less than 14 percent, according to the World Bank. This is despite there being more female university graduates in the country than men.
A joint survey by ActionAid and the Maal Centre, which aimed to uncover some of the reasons behind the low rate, found that violence against women in the workplace was one of the most significant factors to blame.
A shocking one in five women said they had experienced sexual harassment while at work. Of the respondents, 29% of respondents said they had remained silent about their experience and 17% said they feared retaliation if they reported it.
to a high standard
Other factors holding women back include the fact that laws prohibiting gender discrimination in the workplace are not strictly enforced, and legal provisions – such as paid maternity leave – are often ignored by employers. Meanwhile, restrictive cultural norms, which dictate that women carry out unpaid care and domestic work, also have an impact.
The findings sparked a three-year project, supported through funds raised by players of People’s Postcode Lottery, to create and implement the Women-Friendly Label with the aim of empowering women and making them feel safer at work.
A core group of women from a range of different backgrounds came together to design the 12 criteria that make up the label, to ensure it genuinely reflected the needs of female employees before a pilot was launched in six companies.
Workplaces engaged in the scheme must devise a code of conduct outlining policies on sexual harassment and inappropriate behaviour, and they must introduce complaint procedures and redress mechanisms for survivors to get justice.
Staff benefit from free training in employment rights and women’s rights in the workplace, and women’s committees are established by female employees inside the company to guarantee that their voices and concerns are heard.
Companies are also encouraged to set up a designated women-only safe space or ‘break room’ in their building, which female employees can use for religious or other reasons.
Mahmoud Al-Azzeh, programme manager at ActionAid Arab Region, said: “The scheme has been beneficial for companies on two levels: first, staff felt appreciated. They knew their rights and felt more confident, as well as comfortable and relaxed at work. One factory worker said it was the first time she had ever attended training about her rights as an employee.
“At the same time, management benefited from improved staff satisfaction levels, for free, and they liked the visibility it offered. It was a win-win situation, and it helped build a bridge between management and staff.
“Another added benefit was that men said they felt more relaxed and confident about their wives going to work – this was an unintended consequence we hadn’t foreseen.”
Since the initial pilot phase, a diverse range of SMEs and civil society organisations – including medical companies, IT firms and textile factories – have engaged with the scheme and there are currently plans to expand to larger companies, NGOs, universities and even the government, which has shown keen interest in the project.
Workplaces are eligible as long as they already have a minimum level of 30% female representation. Once earned, the label certification lasts for one year before being reviewed to ensure standards continue to be met.
“One of the biggest challenges so far has been getting private companies to engage, as they were wary of the time and resources it would use up. But as the scheme expands, more companies are beginning to understand that – not only is it the right thing to do – but it brings benefits, too. Now, they are proud to display the Women Friendly Label on their website and in their offices,” Al-Azzeh said.
“As it continues to grow, we hope there will be further incentives to gaining the Women Friendly Label, such as tax exemptions, and our dream is that, one day, it will be mandatory for all businesses in Jordan.”
The women who created the label have been instrumental in its roll out, organising awareness sessions, running social media campaigns, attending networking events and holding coaching sessions for women.
Fatima Al-Omoush, one of the women behind the creation of the label, said: “The Women Friendly Label programme has positively impacted the workplace by setting standards that enhanced women’s awareness of their rights, making work processes more efficient.”
A total of 28 companies are currently working towards achieving the label, which will demonstrate to current and future employees that their workplace is committed to providing a fair, inclusive, and safe work environment for women, and has measures in place to prevent violence and harassment.
While it is still too early to evaluate the full impact of the scheme, initial results indicate that it is improving staff retention, while female employees have consistently praised the scheme for boosting their confidence and making them feel more empowered at work.
One female employee said: “The programme offers an awareness-raising initiative that addresses women’s rights issues in the workplace. Secondly, policies have been improved to include maternity leave and childcare provisions.
“Furthermore, new internal programs have been introduced to support women in leadership roles. Most importantly, new doors of communication have been opened between management and female employees.”
Find out more about the Women-Friendly Label here: wfljordan.org
