Amman, Nov. 11 (Petra) – The Senate’s Labor and Development Committee, chaired by Senator Issa Haider Murad, held a meeting on Tuesday with representatives of several civil society organizations to discuss the welfare economy’s role in reducing unemployment and promoting sustainable development.

The meeting brought together members of the executive team of the World University Service of Canada (WUSC) in Jordan, Fidaa Hmoud, Randa Naffaa, Sahar Aloul, and Reem Abu Ragheb, along with the organization’s Executive Director in Jordan, Nancy Momani, and International Labor Organization (ILO) representative Duaa Ajarmeh.

Murad highlighted the importance of the welfare economy in driving economic growth, expanding job opportunities, and strengthening social protection systems. He emphasized that investment in social welfare services for children, the elderly, and persons with disabilities is essential to achieving inclusive and sustainable development, in line with the Economic Modernization Vision.

He said the meeting aimed to explore ways to integrate the care economy into national employment policies and strengthen public-private partnerships to generate employment opportunities and ensure decent work conditions.

Hmoud reviewed the key findings of a study titled "Towards National Policies Supporting the Care Economy: The National Framework for Nurseries as a Model," which proposes a national reference framework for expanding and sustaining nurseries at affordable costs, advancing early childhood development, and enhancing women’s participation in the labor force.

Aloul pointed out that recent amendments to the Labor Law, supported by the Senate’s Labor and Development Committee and civil society, helped ease childcare burdens and removed barriers limiting women’s entry into the labor market.

Ajarmeh said the ILO continues to collaborate with Jordanian partners to strengthen the care economy and encourage broader female participation in economic activities through policy dialogue and social partnerships.

Momani highlighted that WUSC, in partnership with the Vocational Training Corporation and the National Council for Family Affairs, launched the "Bokra" project to support working mothers by improving nursery quality and affordability while promoting women’s economic empowerment.

//Petra// AJ