Anabtawi

The Problem

In labour markets in Jordan, Egypt, Palestine, youth & women encounter challenges due to slow economic-growth, & fiscal/monetary policies; with its implications on labour-markets & unemployment. For instance, in 2022, in Jordan, the general unemployment has reached 22.6%, with only 14.2% women economic participation, while in Egypt, unemployment stood at 7.4% (Statista, Egypt,), not to mention that in Palestine, the political, economic & security situation under occupation is significantly exacerbating the unemployment crisis & directly reflects on availability & quality of jobs.

High unemployment is attributed to constellation of considerable challenges & barriers which impedes youth economic participation, such barriers are lack of decent-jobs, & large size of informal-economy which particularly had a devastating impact on workers who were not protected by social –security-network during pandemic lock-down. Youth also face difficult transitioning from school-to-decent-work as they don’t possess the technical-skills required to fill jobs in manufacturing-sector, they also lack job-readiness & job-searching-skills.

Women encounter additional challenges which discourage women from seeking jobs in the manufacturing-sector, for example, in Jordan, lack of decent transportation system, social-norms, pay-inequity, & sexual-harassment are the main impediments to women economic-participation. Life-work balance is another barrier for women with family-responsibilities in target countries.

The Solution

With our project we want to establish a food-supply chain that connects its operations in three countries and expands its current production lines to support food-security. Simultaneously, JEPP will enhance youth and women employment in the manufacturing sector in Jordan, Egypt, and Palestine. The food supply chain will create decent jobs in a safe, equitable and family friendly work environment.

Our goal with JEPP is to improve the livelihood and quality of employment for a total of 2000 Arab youth (18-35) in Jordan, Egypt, and Palestine. We aim to assign 60% of the employment to women and 40% to men.

In total we will:

• Create 1150 employment opportunities in the Al-Anabtawi food industry.
• Match 400 Arab youth with vacancies in the industrial sector or food industry sector.
• Improve the quality of employment for 450 employees in Jordan, Egypt, and Palestine.

We hope that with JEPP, we will challenge the high unemployment rates among youth, lack of decent employment and the low economic-participation of women in our three target countries.

Additionality 

With the funding and technical support of CFYE we will be able to realize the overall goal of JEPP and create sustainable impact for youth employment in Jordan. The support will also help us cover the measures that we need to undertake to achieve gender-equality in our work environment such as child-care allowances, pay equity policies and the sensitization of employees on anti-harassment.

Overall, CFYE support will help us establish a food supply chain in three countries through expediting the process of growth, and will assist in overcoming the challenges which youth and women encounter in obtaining decent employment.