Gender Equity Seal
Target Group: Private companies in Jordan’s Information & Communication Technology (ICT) and Tourism Sectors
Budget: $250,000
Duration: September 2012- December 2013
Donor: UN Women
Corresponding to Jordan’s National Agenda 2006-2015, UN WOMEN Jordan partnering with the Ministry of Labor and the Ministry of Tourism and Antiquities has adopted the Gender Equity seal (GES) initiative in 2012 as an auditable standard and certification system, aiming at institutionalizing gender equity policies and facilitating equal opportunities for men and women in access to jobs, working conditions, as well as professional development, training, and participation in decision-making processes. GES details specific criteria for policies, procedures, training and other management systems components. The intent is to provide companies with a clear roadmap to measure and improve their capacity to, and ultimately, demonstrate their progress in, implementing gender equity policies with a view to ultimately earning GES certification.
Due to the success achieved in the first phase, in which nine out of ten private Jordanian companies have been granted the GEC certificate, UN Women has sought to formulate a second phase to increase number of participated companies in the Tourism, ICT and banking sectors, possibly expand its network to include more private sectors, create synergies with national partners, and create national ownership through partnering with local stakeholders involved in women’s economic empowerment. The Kingdom of Jordan is the third country in the world to adopt the GES model.
Project Goals:
- Promote gender equity among participating firms, non-participating firms who have expressed interest in participating, and by the wider business community in Jordan.
- Enhance capacity of the participating firms in promoting gender equity in human resources management.
- Improve use and enforcement of gender policies and sustained compliance and adherence to the Gender Equity Model Jordan (GEMJ) by the participating firms.