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This country gender assessment (CGA) explores the extent to which extent gender issues contribute to or impede the success of Jordan’s vision for transforming itself into a knowledge-based, diversified, and private sector–driven economy. This report seeks to understand the extent to which the different patterns of women’s economic participation reflect the society’s own choice of a socioeconomic development model, the result of specific constraints and discriminatory practices, or a combination of these factors. More specifically, why have Jordanian women not advanced as far as they could in terms of lowering fertility and participating in the labour force and political arena, despite the investments that have been made in their education and health? Is this attributable to personal choice, labour market constraints, or discriminatory practices? What are the implications for Jordan’s vision for economic development?

This paper explores patterns and levels of women's economic advancement. Despite impressive attainment in education, Jordanian women’s economic roles, in some ways, do not fit the pattern seen in similar lower-middle-income countries or even in MENA. The paper also examines impediments to women in the labour market, and concludes by asking what are the policy implications and imperatives for Jordan.

Some of the key findings on why women's economic advancement does not seem to be as advanced as it could be include:

• gender based wage and nonwage discrimination are still present, and under- and un-employment remain high among women
• occupational segregation is significantly prevalent
• women’s capability for involvement in the private sector remains untapped
• some “protective” labour laws themselves act as impediments
• social attitudes and legal barriers define women’s traditional roles in society and the family
• female voice and representation in decision making is low, despite government efforts to aid women’s participation through quotas

To enhance the ability to better analyse and effectively address gender issues in Jordan, a new approach to promoting women’s economic advancement is required––one that makes the economic transformation of the economy possible by focusing on:

• education curricula reform
• alignment of legal reform with economic objectives
• an institutional framework that values skills to mainstream a gender perspective in policy making and implementation
• a results-oriented approach to policy and decision making that relies on gender-sensitive indicators

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