Structural Discrimination Exacerbates Women's Economic Exclusion: Unemployment and Labor Market Participation Reveal a Crisis of Justice and Equality in Jordan

SIGI: Despite notable legislative achievements, low economic participation by women requires urgent attention and investment

Solidarity Is Global Institute-JO (SIGI) highlights the latest official indicators released by the Department of Statistics regarding unemployment and labor force participation in the first quarter of 2025. Unemployment stood at 21.3%, with a stark gender disparity: 31.2% among women and 18.6% among men.

These figures underscore the persistent and significant gender gap in Jordan’s labor market. This gap cannot be understood outside the context of a broader structural social, economic, and legislative framework that continues to exclude women and hinder their active participation. This is despite legislative progress, women’s educational advancements, and their diverse societal roles. Yet, women continue to face high unemployment rates and low economic participation, negatively impacting not only women but also families, society, and the national economy.

SIGI Considers Female Unemployment a Form of Economic Violence

SIGI notes that the female unemployment rate of 31.2%, compared to 18.6% among males in the first quarter of 2025, is not due to a “lack of qualification or capability.” Rather, it results from systemic structural discrimination, including a shortage of suitable job opportunities that respond to women’s needs and social circumstances, and enduring cultural attitudes that confine women to specific roles. Additionally, many workplaces—particularly in the private sector—remain unfriendly and unsupportive of women, contributing to early withdrawal from the labor market, especially in the absence of stability and the underutilization of flexible working hours within the flexible employment system.

SIGI raises a critical question: Should the persistent high unemployment among women be regarded as a form of systematic economic violence, given that women’s economic rights continue to be marginalized, despite their qualifications and potential to contribute significantly to the economy?

Women’s Economic Participation Declining – Empowerment Does Not Happen Automatically

SIGI points out a decline in women’s economic participation, from 15.5% in Q1 2024 to 14.5% in Q1 2025, while men’s participation remained relatively stable (from 53.7% to 51.2%). This decline suggests that current policies have failed to remove key barriers to women’s effective labor market participation. Women are left to confront a restrictive reality, despite the existence of legal and political frameworks that ostensibly support them. For example, promises of discrimination- and harassment-free workplaces, affordable and safe transportation for working women—especially in remote governorates—flexible work policies, part-time job options, and support for entrepreneurial initiatives, remain largely unimplemented. Furthermore, best-practice models are rarely promoted or celebrated.

Female Breadwinners in the Shadows: Weak Protection and Support in Reality

Data shows that 20.8% of households in Jordan were headed by women in 2024, meaning more than half a million families are led by women. Despite this, economic policies still operate under the assumption that “men are the default breadwinners.” This assumption reinforces exclusion and deprives women of full economic rights, including financial allocations, support, funding, and tax exemptions.

This reality reveals an institutional disregard for the economic and social role of women, placing additional burdens on female-headed households in the absence of social protection policies that adequately address women’s needs.

A Paradox Between Education and Labor Market Access – Structural Discrimination Ignores Merit

SIGI stresses the contradiction in the numbers: 75.6% of employed women hold a bachelor’s degree, compared to only 27.1% of employed men. Despite this, women are excluded from employment opportunities, highlighting a disconnect between academic achievement and labor market access. This exclusion is not due to a lack of merit, but rather systemic exclusion and male-dominated labor market dynamics, as demonstrated by statistics and percentages.

Furthermore, 55.2% of men in the workforce have not completed high school, compared to only 8.5% of women, underscoring a troubling paradox where more qualified women are consistently sidelined in favor of less-qualified men.

SIGI emphasizes that discrimination in the labor market is not random, but the result of accumulated policies and practices that reflect the dominance of specific actors in shaping public policy. These policies continue to exclude women from decision-making positions and ignore feminist perspectives in designing and implementing economic programs. There is also insufficient investment in women's empowerment, particularly in employment and training programs tailored to their needs—despite the alignment of such goals with Jordan’s national policy direction.

SIGI Calls for a Rights-Based Feminist Approach to Economic and Social Policymaking

SIGI urges the adoption of a feminist, rights-based approach in shaping economic and social policies. This includes:

• Restructuring the labor market from a gender perspective to ensure equal opportunities and empowerment

• Enforcing laws and regulations that criminalize discrimination and economic violence against women in the workplace

• Integrating women into all levels of economic decision-making at both national and local levels

• Financing employment and entrepreneurship programs for women, especially female breadwinners, and linking them with social protection systems and community peace and security frameworks

This statement is part of the project “Policies to Combat Violence in the Workplace and Work Environment”, implemented by Solidarity Is Global Institute-JO (SIGI) and funded by the African Women’s Development Fund (AWDF).