Rehabilitated Institutional Nursery at Jordan’s Ministry of Labour Inaugurated

AMMAN (ILO News) - The institutional nursery at the Ministry of Labour (MoL) was inaugurated after its rehabilitation, as part of efforts to enhance women's economic participation and empowerment in the Jordanian labour market.

The inauguration took place under the patronage of the Minister of Industry, Trade, and Supply, and the Minister of Labour, H.E. Mr. Youssef Al-Shamali, and in the presence of the Deputy Regional Director of the International Labor Organization (ILO) in the Arab States, Peter Rademaker, Norwegian Ambassador to Jordan Espen Lindbæck, Maha Ali, the Secretary-General of the Jordanian National Commission for Women's Affairs (JNCW), and a group of representatives from national and international organizations and relevant partners.

The event highlighted the outcomes of the National Framework for Daycare (NFD) for the years 2023-2025 and emphasized the importance of investing in Early Childhood Care and Education (ECCE) in Jordan to achieve a more gender-equal world of work and enhance decent working conditions. The event also shed light on the importance of the early childhood care sector as a profession, and of building the capacity of caregivers to raise the standards of care and education within institutional nurseries according to international standards.

Rehabilitation and support were provided to the institutional nursery affiliated with the MOL, as well as three other institutional nurseries under the Ministry of Social Development (MoSD) in several governorates, by the ILO’s Decent Work for Women Programme in Jordan which is funded by the Governments of Norway and Sweden. This support was necessary to implement the NFD, which was developed by the SADAQA Foundation in partnership with the ILO since 2017 and subsequently adopted by the Jordanian government through the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding with the SADAQA Foundation for its implementation.

Over the past years, various national entities and committees, including the MoL, the MoSD, the Social Security Corporation (SSC), the Legislation and Opinion Bureau, and the National Council for Family Affairs, along with active individuals and organizations, have been working on implementing a significant portion of this framework, which serves as a national reference that focuses on the importance of increasing women's economic participation by providing childcare facilities for working families and investing in early childhood care and education as a national requirement.

Minister Al-Shamali welcomed the attendees and expressed gratitude to the ILO and all national and international partners who supported the initiative. He affirmed that the nursery has been rehabilitated and equipped to the highest standards to serve as a model for institutional nurseries in Jordan. Minister Al-Shamali said: "In line with the Royal directives to support and increase women's participation in the labour market, the establishment of institutional nurseries is one of the available solutions that will contribute to enhancing women's participation in the labour market within a decent and safe working environment that ensures gender equality."

In line with the royal directives to support and increase women's participation in the labour market, the establishment of institutional nurseries came as one of the available solutions that will contribute to enhancing women's participation in the labour market within a decent and safe working environment that ensures gender equality.

Minister of Industry, Trade, and Supply, and the Minister of Labour, H.E. Mr. Youssef Al-Shamali

Mr. Peter Rademaker highlighted that "there is a significant focus on the care economy within the work of the ILO, as millions of people around the world work in this sector and provide essential services to their communities. However, often the work in the care sector is not adequately appreciated." He further added: "Our presence today in Jordan to inaugurate the institutional nursery at the Ministry demonstrates the important steps taken by Jordan in this field and serves as strong evidence that the care economy is a vital part of the overall economy and contributes to creating employment opportunities for both genders."

There is a significant focus on the care economy within the work of the ILO, as millions of people around the world work in this sector and provide essential services to their communities. However, often the work in the care sector is not adequately appreciated.

ILO Deputy Regional Director for Arab States, Mr. Peter Rademaker

The ceremony shed light on the importance of investing in the care sector in Jordan. Reem Aslan, Gender Specialist and Decent Work for Women Programme Manager at the ILO, pointed out that the ILO has developed the tool “Care Policy Investment Simulator” which includes information for eleven Arab countries, including Jordan. This tool measures the return on investment in comprehensive childhood care and long-term care services. Based on the results of this tool, she stated, "If Jordan modifies maternity leave to be eighteen weeks, paternity leave to be ten days, grants paid parental leave, and provides services such as nurseries and breastfeeding facilities, the number of jobs that could be generated, if relevant legislation is amended, could reach 536,000 jobs by 2035."

If Jordan modifies maternity leave to be eighteen weeks, paternity leave to ten days, grants paid parental leave, and provides services such as nurseries and breastfeeding facilities, the number of jobs that could be generated, if relevant legislation is amended, could reach 536,000 jobs by 2035.

ILO Gender Technical Specialist Regional Office for Arab States, Reem Aslan.

H.E. Eng. Maha Ali, the Secretary-General of the JNCW, expressed her great delight to be present at the ceremony and witness this remarkable model of an institutional nursery within an institution like the MoL. She emphasized that this achievement would not have been possible without the collaborative efforts of all parties involved, stating: "If we look at women's economic participation in the labour market, we find that we have only been able to increase it from 12 per cent to 14 per cent in the past twenty years. Jordan has one of the lowest rates among countries. Therefore, the efforts required are significant, necessitating a comprehensive and integrated approach to achieve the desired increase in line with the goals of the Economic Modernization Vision, which recommends doubling women's participation rate as well as the objectives outlined in the National Strategy for Women's Affairs." She further stated, "According to the available data from the MoSD until 2021, the percentage of children enrolled in licensed nurseries, specifically children under the age of five, does not exceed one per cent, which indicates the magnitude of the existing gaps."

If we look at women's economic participation in the labour market, we find that we have only been able to increase it from 12 per cent to 14 per cent in the past twenty years. Jordan has one of the lowest rates among countries. Therefore, the efforts required are significant, necessitating a comprehensive and integrated approach to achieve the desired increase in line with the goals of the Economic Modernization Vision, which recommends doubling women's participation rate as well as the objectives outlined in the National Strategy for Women's Affairs.

Secretary-General of the JNCW H.E. Eng. Maha Ali

Sahar Al-Aaloul, a founding member of SADAQA Foundation, presented the NFD and the entities responsible for its implementation. She stated, "The main objective of the framework is to become a national reference document adopted by the Government, outlining how nurseries should be distributed and the promotion of the care sector and early childhood development in relation to women's economic participation and the enhancement of the rights of working families. It also aims to develop early childhood care and education, enhance the capacities of workers in the sector, and consequently improve the quality of services provided in nurseries." The rate of women's economic participation in Jordan has not exceeded 14 per cent over the past four decades. This is mainly attributed to the limited presence of nurseries in their various forms, as the number of children enrolled in nurseries does not exceed three per cent of the age-appropriate population. Al-Aaloul attributed this to the absence of funding, financial incentives, and tax benefits for establishments committed to providing nurseries, as well as the challenges in establishing and licensing them.

The main objective of the framework is to become a national reference document adopted by the government, outlining how nurseries should be disseminated and the promotion of the care sector and early childhood development in relation to women's economic participation and the enhancement of the rights of working families. It also aims to develop early childhood care and education, enhance the capacities of workers in the sector, and consequently improve the quality of services provided in nurseries."

A founding member of SADAQA, Sahar Al-Aaloul

The ceremony also highlighted the efforts of rehabilitating the institutional nursery at the Ministry by the implementing company, Greenwood Barton Architects. A representative of the company Sumaya Abu Hayyeh stated: "The main idea behind the nursery's design was to minimize architectural elements. The key interventions we made were increasing the outdoor play area and redistributing the interior rooms to accommodate a larger number of children. We also focused on natural lighting, natural ventilation, and visual communication, which were not included in the previous design. Furthermore, we heavily relied on Montessori principles in the design and used natural colors for wood and calm paint colors without increasing the number of furniture pieces." In addition to providing a safe and stimulating space for children, institutional nurseries enable working women to balance their professional and motherhood responsibilities. They enhance women's economic participation and create employment opportunities for women in Jordan. This initiative aims to elevate the quality of childcare and early education, contributing to the strong foundation of children's psychological, social, and intellectual development. Moreover, institutional nurseries reflect the growing importance of investing in ECCE as a means to achieve sustainable economic development and promote gender equality. The nursery was designed according to international standards for childcare and the aspirations of working women, providing a safe and suitable environment for the growth and development of their children. When high-quality institutional nursery services are available, working women can dedicate themselves to work with confidence, establishing a strong connection between their professional and family lives and achieving a better balance between work responsibilities and their roles as mothers. According to the ILO Care Policy Investment Simulator and as mentioned by Aslan in her speech, the ILO estimates that investing in universal childcare and long-term care services in Jordan could generate more than 536,000 jobs by 2035, corresponding to more than 169,000 direct jobs in childcare, almost 167,000 direct jobs in long-term care, and 200,000 indirect jobs in non-care sectors.

I would like to express my gratitude to all of you as a working mother for creating this warm and nurturing environment for our children. The nursery is considered a second home for our children, providing them with comfort, safety, and contributing to their skill development. We are extremely fortunate to have this nursery developed because having a nursery for children at the workplace is a dream come true for every working mother and father. It saves their time and effort and relieves them from psychological pressures. The mother can have peace of mind knowing that her child is in a suitable and specialized environment, which in turn increases her productivity and desire to work”. “Lastly, I would like to share something in our language “The most important thing for me is when I drop off my son at the nursery, he says, 'Bye, Mama, I'm going to the nursery.

A working mother benefiting from nursery service, Eman Almasri

H.E. Mr. Espen Lindbæck, Ambassador of Norway to Jordan, emphasized the appreciation of the Embassy of Norway for the longstanding partnership with the Jordanian government in the fields of education, early childhood development, and gender pay equity since 2015. He added, "In 2020, the MoSD, the SSC, the Ministry of Education, in addition to the ILO and the SADAQA Foundation, conducted a study visit to Norway. We were honored to support this visit, which, as we heard, provided valuable insights from the Norwegian experience in the childcare sector."

In 2020, the MoSD, the SSC, the Ministry of Education, in addition to the ILO and the SADAQA Foundation, conducted a study visit to Norway. We were honored to support this visit, which, as we heard, provided valuable insights from the Norwegian experience in the childcare sector.

Ambassador of Norway to Jordan, H.E. Mr. Espen Lindbæck

At the end of the ceremony, a tour of the nursery was arranged for all participants, allowing them to explore the facilities and available services. These efforts are part of the ILO Work for Women Programme in Jordan. The programme aims to promote gender equality and improve working conditions for women. This work has been carried out in collaboration with the MoL, the MoSD, and the SADAQA Foundation, with generous support from the Government of Norway and the Swedish International Development Cooperation Agency.