Jordan Labor Watch - While economic forecasts show that micro, small and medium enterprises will become the main source of job growth in the Jordanian labor market as they currently employ 70 percent of the labor force, small entrepreneurs, especially women, face challenges that hinder their continuation in this type of business.
"I want to expand my business, but first I have to overcome the challenges, including the difficulty in understanding my licensing procedures," said Nora, a Syrian mother of five who earns her living selling Syrian food at her home in Rusaifeh. "I do not know what steps I should follow to make my work legal and documented.
" A number of women interviewed for the purpose of this report said that they face some gaps in their skills, especially in subjects related to financial management, product design and marketing.
In cases where training programs for women were available, many reported that they face significant barriers to their participation, such as access to mobility or their need for unpaid care. Many women said they were overcoming these challenges by using online resources and open source training courses to improve their skills.
A recent study by Coalition Leaders,"The main challenges for the growth of small businesses in Jordan", showed that micro, small and medium enterprises employ the majority of the Jordanian workforce, which in turn will become the main source of future job growth. However, Syrian refugees and women face greater challenges. For women, there are additional barriers to their entrepreneurial work, such as limited access to finance, responsibility for childcare and housework, and lack of reliable means of transportation. . Non-Jordanians, including refugees wishing to register their business, are required to place bank guarantees with values ranging from 100,000 to 300,000 Jordanian dinars, and to prove their place of residence and to provide non-judgmental certificates.