The EU's Foreign Policy Response to the Exclusion of Women in the Jordanian Labour Force

Gender inequality remains a complex phenomenon that significantly restricts women’s access to the labour market and their overall participation in economic life globally. Surveys such as the Arab Barometer highlight that gender disparities in the labour force are particularly pronounced across the MENA region, while International Labour Organisation data indicates that female participation in the labour market stands at just 14 per cent in the region—far below the global average of 56 per cent. Persistent barriers, including unequal care responsibilities, limited financial independence, and restrictive social norms, continue to curtail women’s economic engagement. In Jordan, such challenges remain profound, and despite women’s high educational attainment, female labour force participation ranks among the lowest in the world. This paper examines the role of the European Union, with a particular focus on the mechanisms and impact of EU support under the European Neighbourhood Policy. Our findings suggest that although the EU recognises the issues of low female participation and high unemployment and has introduced support mechanisms, its efforts to foster substantive change in women’s economic empowerment in Jordan have so far produced limited results.