Helping to empower women in Jordan

Li & Fung is involved in a number of key industry initiatives that bring our customers and industry partners together to effect change. One of these initiatives is the Hemaya project in Jordan, which is led by CARE International and Li & Fung in partnership with one of our customers and with support from The Fung (1906) Foundation.

The Hemaya project promotes linkages between local employment opportunities and the local female workforce and aims to raise Jordanian women’s awareness of their rights, entitlements and workplace responsibilities in accordance with local labor laws.

Participation in the labor force is an important step for women to gain financial empowerment, which can lead to greater decision-making power in the home and more active engagement in the welfare of their families. According to the World Bank, Jordan has a female labor force participation rate of 23%, ranking it 177 out of 185 countries around the world in gender equality in economic participation and opportunity.

The Hemaya project’s three objectives were to:

1. Empower Jordanian women to successfully enter and remain in the Jordanian garment sector
2. Improve relations between local employers and the local labor force
3. Reduce poverty and improve livelihood options for local women and families by improving access to employment opportunities in the garment sector.

With Li & Fung endorsement, CARE selected five factory partners in Jordan and partnered with five community-based organizations (CBOs) that shared the mandate of supporting women’s economic empowerment activities. Li & Fung, CARE and the CBOs held a number of discussions with the factories to introduce the Hemaya project to the local community and factory staff, brief them on the project objectives and share how activities would be implemented.

Over the course of the three-year Hemaya project, CARE believe over 90% of the program goals were met and it is evident that factory management and CBOs are helping to promote the benefits of engaging women in the workforce. This awareness has meant more women have and will continue to gain employment, reducing the stigma associated with women working and creating a path towards economic empowerment.