AMMAN — The Ministerial Committee for Women’s Empowerment, in partnership with the Jordanian National Commission for Women and the King Abdullah II Centre for Excellence (KACE) launched on Tuesday the “Institutional Seal for Supporting and Empowering Women”.

 

The "Institutional Seal" aims at promoting women’s empowerment and equal opportunities across Jordan’s public and private sectors, as part of efforts to embed gender equality into institutional policies, workplace practices and decision-making.

 

Minister of Social Development and Chairperson of the Ministerial Committee for Women’s Empowerment Wafaa Bani Mustafa, who presided over the launch, said the initiative represents a new phase in efforts to translate the goals of the Economic Modernisation Vision (EMV) into institutional practices.

 

She said empowering women should be viewed as an investment in development, productivity and the competitiveness of the national economy, stressing that the committee is working to coordinate national efforts and ensure women’s empowerment becomes an integral part of government policies and institutional practices.

 

The seal provides institutions with a national framework to review their policies, procedures and workplace culture against clear standards, including supportive leadership and safe working environments, Bani Mustafa said.

 

She called on public and private sector institutions to use the seal as an opportunity for institutional development and continuous improvement, rather than simply as a recognition mechanism.

 

Minister of State for Public Sector Development Badriya Balbisi said the initiative supports efforts to establish institutional environments based on fairness, equal opportunities and the effective use of available skills and competencies.

 

She said the seal would help government institutions systematically examine their policies and practices, identify gaps and forms of discrimination, and address them using evidence and data.

 

"Women’s participation in the public sector is not measured only by the number of women working in public institutions, but by the fairness of opportunities available to them throughout their careers, from recruitment and professional development to promotion, leadership positions and participation in decision-making," Balbisi said.

 

She added that ensuring equal opportunities is closely linked to public sector modernisation, particularly efforts to establish human resources systems based on competence, merit and equal opportunity.

 

Executive Director of KACE Wedad Qteishat said the seal should not be viewed merely as an award or certification, but as a comprehensive institutional journey through which organisations can assess their policies, systems and practices, measure their level of maturity and identify areas for improvement.

 

She said institutions that provide fair working environments, equal opportunities and professional and leadership development for women are better positioned to improve efficiency, attract talent and strengthen their capacity for innovation.

 

The launch included a presentation on the initiative and a panel discussion on applying the seal’s principles in the public and private sectors.

 

The discussion addressed the seal’s development, assessment and certification process, its alignment with the Women’s Empowerment Principles (WEPs), women’s empowerment in the public sector and the private sector’s role in adopting the standards.

 

Participants included representatives from the Ministerial Committee for Women’s Empowerment, the Jordanian National Commission for Women, KACE, UN Women Jordan, the Public Sector Modernisation Programme and the private sector.

 

The discussion stressed the need to move women’s empowerment from individual initiatives towards sustainable, measurable institutional practices that can be continuously assessed and improved.

 

The launch was attended by MP Fliha Khdeir, chairperson of the Lower House Women and Family Affairs Committee, along with representatives of the public and private sectors and civil society organisations.