Direct Request (CEACR) - adopted 2002, published 91st ILC session (2003)

The Committee notes the information supplied by the Government and the statistics attached to the report.

1. In its previous comments, the Committee had requested the Government to envisage the possibility of reviewing the Ordinance of 1997 issued by the Minister of Labour under section 69 of the Labour Code setting out the jobs and times at which work by women was prohibited. It had also noted the Government’s explanation that these prohibitions were intended above all to protect the health and safety of women workers, but that they also took into account national traditions and customs and the private life of women workers by giving them the possibility to harmonize their family and working lives. In this regard, the Committee notes the Government’s statement that any decision promulgated on the basis of section 69 of the Labour Code will be subject to a periodic review, examination and evaluation by the social partners, and that promulgated decisions will be reviewed and amended, if the need for such review arises. It also notes the decision adopted by the Ministry of Labour on 10 January 2002 amending article 4 of the 1997 Ordinance on restricted working hours and occupations for women which adds the information technology sector and related occupations to the list of exceptions of sectors in which women are authorized to work between 8 p.m. and 8 a.m.

2. While fully appreciating the statement made by the Government, the Committee must repeat that family responsibilities may constitute an obstacle to equality in employment and be an important cause of direct or indirect discrimination against women. Therefore, it should be recognized that traditions and customs may reflect stereotype thinking and negative prejudices about men’s and women’s roles and capabilities, including those with respect to family responsibilities. The Committee trusts that the Government will consider a thorough examination of the provisions of the 1997 Ordinance in due course, involving workers’ and employers’ organizations and women workers, with a view to assessing whether it is still necessary to prohibit access of women into certain occupations, in light of any improvement in working conditions and the need to promote equality of opportunity and treatment. In any review, consideration should be given to the approach taken in the Night Work Convention, 1990 (No. 171), the Safety and Health in Mines Convention, 1995 (No. 176) and the ILO resolution of 1985 on equal opportunities and equal treatment for men and women in employment. The Government is also requested to continue to keep it informed of the progress made in the process of reviewing all Jordanian legislation, including the abovementioned 1997 Ordinance, and in particular the aspects of the legislation relating to women.

3. With regard to vocational training, the Committee notes the Government’s statement that despite the fact that men and women have a free choice to register and sign up for vocational training programmes, there is a trend to have separate training centres for women and men and centres where men and women are in the same place and trained in mixed workshops. The Committee notes indeed from the statistics supplied by the Government on the number of men and women enrolled in the various vocational training courses for the years 2002 and 2001, that the number of women trainees remains extremely low and that the enrolment of men and women in these courses occur largely along traditional lines: training centres for women almost exclusively focus courses related to secretarial work, sales work, hairdressing, dressmaking and textile manufacturing, and bakery while courses in centres for men focus on metalwork, car repair, general repair, carpentry, computers and electronics.

4. Further, while noting the Government’s statement on the dissemination of information on vocational training programmes and the holding of vocational guidance examinations that take into account the physical fitness for the specialization chosen, the Committee must note that the Government does not indicate on how this information system helps in opening a wide range of options to girls in their choice of occupation, nor is the Committee reassured that the vocational examinations for the choice of a trade or occupation do not perpetuate stereotypes. Given the segregation of men and women in training courses along traditional lines, the Committee recalls again that in order to open a broad range of occupations, vocational guidance and training has to be free of considerations based on stereotypes according to which specific trades or occupations are reserved for persons of a particular sex or certain disadvantaged groups. It asks the Government again to provide more detail on the progress made in promoting and providing non-traditional training for women and the measures taken to ensure that training leads to a wider variety of employment opportunities for women, including in higher level posts.

5. The Committee notes with interest the research report called "Women workers in the textiles and garments industries in Jordan: A research on the impact of globalization" (January 2002), which was conducted by a national working group composed of the Ministry of Labour, the General Confederation of Jordanian Trade Unions, the Chamber of Industry, the Chamber of Commerce and the Jordanian National Commission for Women. The Committee notes that the recommendations of the study aimed to be an impetus for further dialogue and follow-up and include suggestions to: (1) improve equality legislation to protect women against discriminatory practices with respect to recruitment, remuneration and promotion; (2) strengthening labour inspection services; (3) raising skills levels of women workers to enhance their employability and career advancement; and (4) enhance the active involvement of the social partners in policy making and interventions. The Committee considers this initiative an important step towards closer collaboration between the Government and the social partners to promote the acceptance and observance of the national policy on equal opportunity and treatment. It requests the Government to keep it informed of any other such initiatives jointly undertaken by the Government, the social partners and other stakeholders, as well as on the measures taken or envisaged to give follow-up to the recommendations of the study and to indicate their impact on the employment situation of women in the textile and garment industry, and on the employment opportunities for women in general.

6. The Committee reiterates its request to provide information on the activities and advisory services provided by the women workers’ division of the labour inspectorate and on the difficulties noted in practice by women inspectors in the application of the Convention.