On Wednesday, ACTED held the National Dialogue Forum on Decent Work Conditions for Women in the Agricultural Sector.
The forum was part of the “Growing the Economy” project funded by the French Development Agency (AFD) in partnership with Action Against Hunger (ACF), TDH, and the Phenix Center for Economic and Information Studies, in cooperation with Eco-Consult and the Royal Society for the Conservation of Nature (RSCN).
During the forum, the Phenix Center launched the results of an evaluation study on labor rights and decent work in the Jordanian agricultural sector. The study aimed to shed light on the challenges facing workers, whether Syrian refugees or Jordanians, besides measuring the extent to which employers are aware of labor rights and decent work standards and the extent of their implementation.
The study relied on a questionnaire distributed to a sample of 384 workers and employers in 192 farms in the governorates of Irbid, Ajloun, Madaba and Balqa, besides in-depth interviews with experts in the field, as well as focus group sessions with workers and employers in the agricultural sector of both genders.
Aisha Barhouma of the Phenix Center presented the highlights of the study, indicating that there is a great weakness in the level of awareness and commitment to labor rights stipulated in Jordanian labor legislation, especially the Agricultural Workers Law of 2021 and its amendments, and decent work standards among many employers in the agricultural sector in Jordan.
According to the study, the social protection system in the agricultural sector is weak because most workers, whether Jordanians or refugees, do not possess social security registration, along with the wage levels in this sector being lower than the minimum wage of 260 dinars per month.
The study showed that most labor contracts between workers and employers are oral contracts, which facilitates the poor enjoyment of basic labor rights by workers, leading to a lack of jobs security and stability in the sector.
The study also showed that there is a weakness in the application of occupational safety and health standards in the agricultural sector, which led and leads to the occurrence of many work injuries in light of the very weak coverage of the social security system for workers in this sector.
The study also pointed out that agricultural workers are not represented in labor unions that defend their rights and interests, which may exacerbate the violations against them.
The study pointed out that the agricultural sector in Jordan suffers from other challenges related to difficult climatic conditions, with the majority of workers using traditional agricultural tools and techniques that hinder adaptation to weather changes and reduce productivity.
The study recommended the need to develop new insurance tools with lower costs to expand the scope of social security coverage in the agricultural sector, and to increase the effectiveness of the Ministry of Labor’s inspections of the agricultural sector to ensure the implementation of the law by increasing the ministry’s allocations in the general budget, so that the ministry can increase the number of inspectors and develop their inspection capabilities.
The study also recommended implementing awareness campaigns for male and female workers and employers in the agricultural sector about their legal rights and responsibilities, establishing a clear, confidential and easy mechanism for filing complaints related to harassment or abuse in the workplace, and promoting a culture of filing complaints.
The study emphasized the need to enhance the work environment in the agricultural sector, especially for women, by providing the necessary protective equipment for female workers, and providing caravans to be used as restrooms and sanitary facilities for them.
A gender analysis conducted by Action Against Hunger (ACF) during the forum revealed the key gender roles, barriers and aspirations of women and men in the agricultural sector.
Hanaa Jumaa of ACF explained that the analysis found that Syrian women workers have lower levels of influence over decision-making in the household than men.
Syrian men are typically responsible for handling finances and important decisions, while women are in charge of determining the household’s purchasing needs.
As for Jordanian women, Juma said they have limited control over decision-making related to financial and future family planning and external engagement with other smallholders, traders and wholesalers.
She emphasized that many women remain silent about the gender-based violence they experience, and are still unsure about reporting experiences of verbal and physical violence.
Women also face societal resistance that hinders their effective economic participation and limits their influence on community agricultural strategies and policies.
In conclusion, participants emphasized the need to establish an official private trade union for agricultural workers to defend their interests and protect them from any potential violations, besides covering all agricultural workers with social security through the implementation of the Agricultural Workers Law of 2021.
They also stressed the need to intensify inspection visits by the Ministry of Labor to the agricultural sector to ensure the protection of workers from labor violations committed by some employers, and to increase awareness campaigns on the rights of agricultural workers and the obligations of employers according to the Labor and Social Security Laws and the Agricultural Workers Law.