Amman, Jordan [25/02/2024] - UN Women Jordan and the Spanish Agency for International Development Cooperation (AECID) partners to further strengthen their partnership in advancing gender equality and women's empowerment in Jordan.

Ala’a Al-Kasabreh, a mother of 4 daughters from Jordan and a housewife, discovered the Oasis centre in Madaba through a friend's recommendation and proceeded to apply via the available online link.

Dua’a Al-Omari, a 38-year-old Jordanian mother of three children, embarked on a transformative journey through the Hairdressing Training programme at the UN Women operated Oasis centre in Madaba. This opportunity allowed her to integrate into the workforce after a pause in her educational journey. Her determination, combined with the support of her family, enabled her to balance her enrolment in the training with her responsibilities at home. This life-changing path was made possible through the Oasis centre, a safe space funded by the European Union through the Regional Trust Fund in Response to the Syrian crisis, the Madad Fund, in partnership with the Ministry of Social Development.

Muna Al Rfou is the Director of the Gender Unit at the Ministry of Social Development (MoSD). With the support of UN Women and the Italian Agency for Development Cooperation (AICS), MoSD launched its first action plan to effectively mainstream gender equality and women’s empowerment into national systems and policies. Al Rfou shares how strengthening institutional capacities will enhance services for all communities.

More than 5,000 Syrian women and girls visit ‘Oases’ safe spaces in the Za’atari camp per month, and several hundred have independently earned incomes through UN Women’s work programme in Jordan.