Economic Policy Development Forum and Jordanian Women Solidarity Institute Sign MoU

AMMAN -------- October 28, 2014 – The Economic Policy Development Forum (EPDF) and Jordanian Women Solidarity Institute signed a Memorandum of Understanding in the field of administrative, technical, and consulting services at Talal Abu-Ghazaleh Knowledge Forum..

The MoU was signed by the Chairman of the Economic Policy Development Forum, HE Dr. Talal Abu-Ghazaleh and the Head of the Institute, Ms. Lubna Dawani, in the presence of Vice-President of the Independent Election Commission, HE Ms. Asma Khader, Women Empowerment Team Leader of Economic Policy Development Forum, HE Ms. Nadia Al-Aloul, and representatives of civil society organizations, Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Ministry of Education, and media.

The MoU includes exchanging administrative, technical, and consulting services between both parties, introducing development projects in areas related to woman safety and security regionally and internationally, developing added services and presenting them to non- profitable organizations beneficiaries.

During the signing ceremony, Dr. Abu-Ghazaleh stressed that the Economic Policy Development Forum gives importance to the role of women in the society referring to Women Empowerment Team which is one of the main active teams of the Forum.

He also asserted that women should stand up for their rights and that job and pay discrimination against women should be tackled.

He also called for the formation of a team that undertakes a project to amend laws and legislations so that women can effectively play their roles in the society, to launch a campaign to prompt institutions and firms to increase the number of female employees to reach 50% of total employees, and to develop a special questionnaire to introduce the companies that maintains such percentage.

Dr. Abu-Ghazaleh pointed out that our economy loses 30% to 40% of production capacity because of not taking advantage of women capacities. He asserted that women constitute half of society; therefore, their share in job market should be 50 percent. He added that achieving this will certainly affect the National Product.

For her part, Ms. Asma Khader expressed her appreciation to Dr. Abu-Ghazaleh and the Forum for their interest in knowledge building and socioeconomic development. She stated that Dr. Abu-Ghazaleh was the first to lead the Global Compact Initiative that emphasizes human rights including women rights. She also appreciated Talal Abu-Ghazaleh Organization (TAG-Org) for its giving to society and called all private sector companies to follow suit.

She added that many gave but in a conventional way, while the development needs empowerment, and "this is what we hope to generalize and achieve." She also said that this project is an integrated and cooperative one that would bring many bodies together in order to contribute to women empowerment. She also addressed a number of challenges and constraints that a woman faces in workplace.

On her part, advocate Lubna Dawani addressed the development stages of Jordanian Women Solidarity Institute since 1998 pointing out its main objective of disseminating human rights culture in the society. She stated that the Institute has many partnerships and that it communicates with civil society networks around the world.

She explained that this MoU is the first to be signed with a Jordanian Institution, the fact that we are proud of. She called for the promotion of social responsibility. She also praised TAGOrg and the Economic Policy Development Forum for their partnership with the Institute.

On the other hand, Women Empowerment Team Leader at the Economic Policy Development Forum, H.E. Ms. Al-Aloul called for focusing on the laws and culture that employer woman politically, economically, and socially. She also called for amending laws and for focusing on education programs that are regressing year after year.

Ms. Al-Aloul stated that the Forum adopted the idea of woman empowerment and is striving to achieve it. She added that there is a need for a comprehensive awareness, and many constraints are dealt with in order to achieve development in education, media, and culture.