Indebtedness is one of the main factors that impact women’s economic empowerment in Jordan. Women in Jordan have one of the lowest labor participation rates in the world, double-digit unemployment rates reaching over 30%, and since they hold lower financial inclusion rates than men, they are more likely to be indebted. The COVID-19 crisis has only exacerbated this situation.
The brief aims to evidence the impact the COVID-19 pandemic has had on women and to include the women’s specific needs. Women-led civil society organizations (CSOs) provided aid to women who have the opportunity to borrow money for small businesses and have specific regulations for loan types, grace periods, and loan repayment.
Moreover, some CSOs provide legal counseling and aid, free of charge, to “Gharimat” through their organizations. However, women still face challenges related to loan repayment, which the policy brief addresses with a set of recommendations.
The Arab Renaissance for Democracy Development (ARDD) is producing a series of policy briefs within the framework of the project “Strengthening the Capacities of Women-led CSOs in Evidence Based Advocacy and Women, Peace, and Security (WPS) Agenda” supported by UN Women with the generous funding of the governments of Canada, Finland, Norway, Spain, and the United Kingdom. ARDD acknowledges the support of the women-led civil society partners involved in the project implementation and thanks the representatives of the organizations for their meaningful contribution.
