Jordan: Focus on the Amal project to fight unemployment among women and youth

With the support of AFD, the NGO “Education for Employment – Jordan” (EFE-Jordan) is implementing the AMAL project: Hope through Employment for Jordanian Youth and Syrian Refugees. 

Through this project, more than 1,350 Jordanian youth, Jordanian women and refugees will be accompanied on the path to financial independence. 

The objective is to develop the skills and technical training required in the labor market, and to offer assistance in job search and business creation.

Asma Ahmed, 25, from Syria received technical training in content writing, interpersonal and communication skills.  The program aims to provide women with the skills they need to enter the highly competitive and growing “gig economy” (self-employment, often online) and generate a source of income to support themselves.

After graduation, I looked for new opportunities for a long time, but I was unsuccessful,” says Asma Ahmed. The training allowed me to learn more about online freelancing and pushed me to improve my skills. Today, I am proud to work as a freelance content writer, and my income allows me to support myself and my family.”

According to Jordan’s Department of Statistics, women’s presence in the labor market is less than 15 percent, compared to about 60 percent for men. 

To help women actively participate in the economy, the “microentrepreneurship track” is aimed particularly at women who live in rural areas, where opportunities in the private sector are few or non-existent. 

This program aims to train women in sales, management, marketing and communication with customers and suppliers, as well as in occupational health and safety. To date, more than 74 women have started successful micro-businesses and are able to support themselves and their families while contributing to their communities. 

This is the case for Haifa’a Zayyadeen, 33. To find gainful employment, this mother of five decided to change her path. In a course offered by EFE-Jordan as part of the AFD-funded “AMAL” initiative, she learned how to conduct a risk analysis and prepare a “plan B” for her projects.

“After years of job hunting, the micro-entrepreneurship training helped me start my home-based business selling frozen vegetables,” says Haifa’a Zayyadeen. “The program gave me the skills I needed to start my project. I thank EFE-Jordan and the AMAL project for giving me the keys to entrepreneurship and generating a steady monthly income.”

In addition to content writing, the project offers a variety of training programs ranging from digital marketing, social media management, web development, mobile app design, graphic design, translation, and data entry. 

Youth enrolled in the Freelance Vocational Training and Recruitment (JT&R) track receive industry-specific technical education, in addition to the communication and other skills listed below. The project aims to train 675 beneficiaries in micro-entrepreneurship, at least 40% of whom are women.

Source: AFD