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50 women graduate from economic empowerment programme

Conducted by Princess Taghrid Institute, programme was supported by UNDP, Finland

By Ana V. Ibáñez Prieto - Dec 06,2017 - Last updated at Dec 06,2017

AMMAN — A total of 50 women from the Jerash and Irbid Governorates on Sunday graduated from an economic empowerment programme conducted by the Princess Taghrid Institute for Development and Training. 

The programme, held under the patronage of Social Development Minister Hala Lattouf, was supported by the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) and the Finnish government. 

“This programme represents an important stage in supporting and empowering women at a personal and economic level in the governorates of Irbid and Jerash,” UNDP Programme Manager Majida Alassaf told The Jordan Times, noting that the project was aimed at “ensuring a better future and a decent life for themselves and their families”.

Ghazel Etoum, project supervisor at the Princess Taghrid Institute, told The Jordan Times that “Jerash and Irbid were chosen as the target locations because they are considered as host communities for refugees,” adding that this allowed the institute “to also work on social cohesion among the women and their families in the community”.

“Furthermore, the market potentials in those two areas are quite high for the production and sale of products both locally and nationally,” Etoum added. 

All women participating in the programme took part in a year-long vocational training designed in accordance with the requirements of the labour market and their own choices, with specific courses in the fields of food processing, cosmetics and sewing. 

Several of the products manufactured during the trainings were showcased in a fashion show held during the graduation ceremony, during which Lattouf handed certificates of achievement to the graduates.

“The ladies are much stronger now, their voices are louder, and their vocational abilities are great,” Etoum expressed, adding that the institute’s doors “are always open for the ladies to benefit from our equipment and knowledge, and to ask us for assistance with anything through the post-programme mentoring opportunity”.

All graduates will soon be provided with specialised sewing machines in order to set up their own projects, which will be supported by the Princess Taghrid Institute in their marketing phase, according to a press release by the UNDP. 

“We believe that this project will allow the trainees to use the tools provided to develop their economic situation,” Etoum said, adding that “this can be done in multiple ways, such as starting their own home based business or joining the small scale projects that we are linking the ladies with, depending on their field of work.”

“Although the project has ended, our work with the ladies will continue,” Etoum stated, noting that the institute is “working on connecting the trainees with several private companies and international opportunities to produce, sell and make a living”.

 

“We believe that they are already becoming elements of change in their community and we will continue to support them in their journey,” Etoum concluded. 

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