Better Work Jordan joins in effort to enhance disability inclusion in garment sector

AMMAN-Jordan – Better Work Jordan, in cooperation with the Higher Council for the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (HCD), delivered a series of awareness-raising and capacity building workshops targeting 134 stakeholders in the garment sector, including workers with disabilities, employers and trade union staff.

Persons with disabilities can be particularly vulnerable workers. Member of HCD’s Equal Opportunities Directorate Shaman Al Majali noted in the training that workers with disabilities often have limited knowledge of their labour rights, which makes them more vulnerable to discriminatory practices and violations in the workplace.

With the aim of achieving the principle of equal opportunity for all workers, the training, funded by the Employment and Social Development – Canada, focused on enhancing the knowledge of targeted stakeholders on the rights and responsibilities of persons with disabilities and their employers in the workplace.

The training also included educating labour inspectors at Jordan’s Ministry of Labour on existing laws and regulations in addition to building their capacity on how to better detect violations related to the rights of workers with disabilities. This includes assessing the inclusivity and accessibility of workplaces as well as the compliance of factories with the legal employment quota for persons with disabilities.

Three-day training sessions were delivered by experts from the HCD in each of Jordan’s three industrial zones in Dulayl, Sahab and Irbid. The workshops dealt with several important regulations, including the 2017 Law on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities, No. 20, and the 2021 Persons with Disabilities Employment Regulation, No. 35.

Specialized experts reviewed articles related to the rights and responsibilities relating to workers with disabilities, work injuries, early retirement and social security, among other issues. The workshops also introduced targeted stakeholders to the tasks and powers of the Equal Opportunities Directorate, the digital system for submitting labour-related complaints, and the “Forty Questions Guide” about the equalization of opportunities in the workplace for persons with disabilities.

The project’s implementation was facilitated through collaborating with the Jordan Garments, Accessories and Textiles Exporters’ Association (JGATE) and the General Trade Union of Workers in Textile, Garment and Clothing Industries (JTGCU).

All workshops were designed to include a separate session for workers who are hearing impaired, with the presence of a sign language translator.

HCD’s Al Majali also said that addressing the level of awareness that workers with disabilities regarding their rights, which are guaranteed by law to ensure their access to equal opportunities, is “paramount” to empowering them and ensuring inclusive workplaces.

“Access to this knowledge is, in itself, a right. I am honoured to have had the opportunity to partner with Better Work Jordan in making that happen,” added Majali.

Workers shared their enthusiasm for participating in the workshops, and one worker, Fathiyeh, described her learning experience as engaging and rewarding.

“When I first heard about the training, I thought it was meant to exclude us [workers with disabilities] … but it turned out to be the exact opposite,” she said upon the session’s conclusion.

“Everything I learned helped remind me that we’re all the same and we’re all deserving of equal opportunities,” Fathiyeh added.

National Programme Officer at Better Work Jordan Muna Abdo noted that throughout its journey in Jordan, the Better Work Programme has encountered barriers to disability inclusion in the garment sector, mainly caused by knowledge gaps on the part of both employers and workers themselves.

“This intervention is aimed to further bridge these gaps, in order to promote inclusivity in the workplace, eliminate discrimination and ensure that workers with disabilities have equal opportunities to thrive as individuals. It was made possible through collaborating with key local partners,” including the Labour Ministry, the garment sector’s trade union and HCD.