'Women head majority of National Aid Fund beneficiary families'

AMMAN — Around 64 per cent of the families receiving monthly aid from the National Aid Fund are headed by a woman, according to General Director of the Fund Omar Mashagbeh.

In a statement, Mashagbeh said that the aid provided by the fund ranges from a minimum of JD45 to a maximum of JD300 per month, depending on several criteria, such as disabilities among family members.

He also noted that support the fund provides is not limited to financial assistance, but also includes support for electricity and transportation.

More than 105,000 families are currently supported by the fund's monthly aid programme, while 25,000 families benefit from its supplementary support programme. About 30,000 families will be added at the beginning of next month, resulting in a rise to 160,000 families.

The percentage of families headed by a woman in Jordan is 15 per cent, according to Mashagbeh.

“Women visit the fund more than men… the fact that some women do not have the opportunity to complete their education results in a narrower set of choices for income,” he said.

He noted that certain social problems also place a burden on women, resulting in them needing more aid than men.

Over 11,000 divorced women and their children benefit from the fund's programmes, he said.

“We give divorced women aid without asking if they have other sources of income, which is a required question for any other case. In fact, we help them secure other sources of income, as we recognise the tremendous burden a divorced woman heading a family can bear,” the director said.