UN Women (UNW) and the International Labour Organization (ILO) hosted the closing event of the Joint Programme "Promoting Productive Employment and Decent Work for Women in Egypt, Jordan, and Palestine" (JP Work4Women) on Thursday, 29 August 2024, in Amman.

Fatima Ali is a Syrian mother of 8 children, moved from Dara’a, Syria to Jordan in 2012 amidst the war in her country. Initially arriving without her husband, Fatima faced harsh conditions as they didn’t have access to water and electricity at that time in the camp.

At the heart of Zaatari Refugee camp, when Samaher arrived in Jordan in 2013, little did she know that she would become an example of resilience and empowerment for her family and community. With two sons and two daughters, Samaher's journey began with hope, but took a challenging turn.

Whether to pursue their studies on the Government’s e-learning platform or to stay in contact with families and friends, youth rely on internet to support each other during the COVID-19 lockdown. Over 500 HeForShe volunteers across Jordan are using social media to help their peers copying with the pressure of confinement, with a rich calendar of virtual initiatives to continue raising awareness on COVID-19 and gender equality. Here is a sneak peek of their work behind the scene and their message of solidarity during this difficult time.

A week since The World Health Organization (WHO) declared COVID-19 as a pandemic, the social impact of the Corona Virus is hitting women hard, around the world. Globally, women make up 70 per cent of workers in the health and social sector, and they do three times as much unpaid care work at home as men. As first responders, frontline health workers, primary care givers at home and community mobilizers, women are at increased risk of exposure to the virus. They are also playing a disproportionate role in responding to the disease.

Lana Ghneim, 23, from Jordan, is a member of the HeForShe campaign in Jordan, a solidarity movement for the advancement of gender equality led by UN Women. Ghneim has recently graduated as a Pharmacist from the Al-Zaytoonah University in Amman, Jordan.

Ibtsam Sayeed Ahmed, 40, is a Syrian refugee enrolled as an incentive-based volunteer in the UN Women Oasis Center, in Za'atari refugee camp, Jordan. She is actively empowering women, youth and people with disabilities to stand up for that rights and pursue their education.

Ahmed Albalkhi, 40, is an incentive-based volunteer enrolled in the UN Women Oasis Center in Za'atari refugee camp, Jordan. Albalkhi is working to raise the awareness of men and boys, and encourage them to stand up for women's rights.

Saif Dabbas, 19, is a member of the HeForShe campaign in Jordan, a solidarity movement for the advancement of gender equality led by UN Women. Dabbas has been a feminist advocate since age 14 and believes youth should be at the forefront of the gender equality movement.