How women in Jordan stand up for themselves

“We are confident, we cannot give up…” Women in Jordan are learning to stand up for themselves, and it’s changing their lives.

“We are confident, we cannot give up…” Women in Jordan are learning to stand up for themselves, and it’s changing their lives.

“I used to be very shy, people will come buy stuff from me, and they say they will pay me later, so I would agree, and later I will be very shy to ask them to pay me the money”.  … the trainer told me that I should be tough and ask for the money back, or else I will lose my business… I started to ask for the money back from all customers who didn’t pay, eventually I got my money back!”

The Jordanian Community Development and Support Activity ran from 2014 to 2019 with $3.4 million in support from Global Affairs Canada. It reached 82,000 people.

What did we accomplish?

  • Women have more control: 95% of women report having more access to and control over livelihood opportunities.
  • More services support women: 84% of women reported having better access to services. Case workers report that they are more effective in their jobs, “The training made me make many changes on the way I work…”
  • Men have more respect for women: 85% of men are reporting more respect for women in the workplace.
  • Young people understand how to prevent violence: 82% of youth involved in the project have a better understanding of gender based violence and how to prevent it.
  • Women are more confident: Women report more ability to stand up for themselves and run their businesses. “I was doing my business in secret (kitchen/catering) and afraid it wasn’t good enough, but then I had the courage to tell [my husband].”

How did we get there?

  • Bring people together: The project created 13 youth committees with Syrian and Jordanian youth to build trust and work on issues that matter to them.
  • Use cash: The project gave cash transfers to 4,291 families—both Syrian and Jordanian—to help them meet their immediate needs.
  • Help people invest in businesses: The project gave grants to 1,808 people so they could invest in their businesses and have sustainable income.
  • Work with government service providers: 96% of the Ministry of Social Development staff who participated in trainings better understand case management for GBV survivors, and 84% are applying what they learned to improve their work.
  • Use technology to connect: “[The] WhatsApp group is where we send each other messages. We are more confident in growing the business. The [CARE Project Officer] follows up with us, at least 3 or 4 times.

Want to learn more?

Read the evaluation.