GAM female employees to benefit from leadership training programme

AMMAN — Minister of Public Sector Development Khleef Al Khawaldeh and Amman Mayor Aqel Biltaji on Monday inaugurated a capacity building programme that seeks to enhance leadership skills and administrative potentials of female employees at the Greater Amman Municipality (GAM).

Under the programme, carried out in partnership with the Institute of Public Administration (IPA) and UN Women, 60 female employees will undergo around 30 hours of training on leadership skills, change management, strategic planning, working under pressure, crisis and time management.

The training programmes are part of the ministry's plans to empower women working in the public sector and to enhance their capabilities in a bid to increase their number in leadership and management positions, said Khawaldeh.

He added that the ministry's capacity-building programme targeting female public servants has already trained 500 employees from several ministries and public agencies in the northern, central and southern parts of the Kingdom.

Biltaji highlighted GAM's efforts to empower female employees and enhance their decision-making capabilities as part of the national efforts to empower women across the country in all fields.

He added that 35 women employees in GAM reached senior administrative positions as consultants and executive director, while over 300 women hold posts related to supervision duties such as heads of departments, units and divisions.

UN Women Jordan Representative Giuseppe Belsito said the initiative complements a series of training projects organised by UN Women in collaboration with the Jordanian National Commission for Women and the IPA earlier this year, adding the programmes have empowered 160 women in various public institutions. 

Such trainings seek to enhance women's representation in managerial roles and to mainstream gender equality in leadership development, which according to the UN Women is "woefully under-represented".