It was therefore striking that in Jordan, the percentage of female participants exceeded 60% across several cohorts in the Context programme, which is part of the Talent Development initiative. Context is a national staff development programme focussed on mid-level managers as well as entry-level staff, and is implemented by RedR UK in Jordan, Lebanon, Kenya and Ethiopia.
The high percentage of female participants in Jordan is even more striking considering that Jordan continues to have one of the world’s lowest rates of female participation in the workforce at only 22%. This is despite having closed or reversed the gender gap in female education at all levels.
This article looks at the role of women in the humanitarian sector in Jordan, their role in leadership and the challenges that they face as women in their work. It is based on interviews held in Jordan in May 2017 with both female and male participants of the Context Management and Leadership course (cohort 4).
With thanks to Ola Telfah, Project Officer for Context in Jordan.