CBIE - Canadian Bureau for International Education

Purpose

This project aims to support women’s economic empowerment in Jordan, which shows some of the lowest rates of women's political and economic participation in the Middle East Region. The project fosters entrepreneurship among school girls and supports women-led business start-ups. It also seeks to address high unemployment rates by improving the enabling environment and promoting a culture of entrepreneurship for Jordanian women in impoverished areas. Project activities include: (1) developing a business incubator for women that includes training, mentoring, advisory services and networking; (2) developing entrepreneurial module training to be delivered throughout Jordan (women entrepreneurs are targeted in this training in both the formal and informal sectors); (3) delivering a Leaders and Entrepreneurs program which includes a national competition and after-school clubs for girls throughout Jordan (school boys are also engaged and sensitized through various initiatives); and (4) sensitizing and building the capacity of decision-makers and key women and men stakeholders (from government, private sector, academia and civil society) to integrate women’s employment and entrepreneurial needs.