Jordan’s Achievements in Reducing the Gender Pay Gap
Development and Enhancement of the Unified Employment Contract in the Private Education Sector
Collective Employment Contract for the Private Education Sector
The Ministry of Labour, in cooperation with the General Federation of Trade Unions, the Jordanian National Commission for Women, and the International Labour Organization, facilitated negotiations to develop the unified employment contract for workers in private educational institutions.
This led to the signing of a collective employment contract between the General Union of Workers in Private Education and the General Union of Private School Owners, which was deposited with the Ministry of Labour.
The unified employment contract for workers in private educational institutions was developed, resulting in the signing of a collective employment contract and the entry into force of the unified contract for the 2024–2025 academic year (covering around 40,000 contracts).
The contract stipulated an annual salary increase, an experience allowance, and a teaching allowance to improve working conditions in this vital sector that employs a large number of women. The contract duration was also extended from 10 to 12 months.
Automation and Wage Transparency
The “Unified Employment Contract Platform” was launched to automate contracts, in cooperation with the General Federation of Jordanian Trade Unions and with support from the International Labour Organization.
Employers were required to transfer salaries to bank accounts or e-wallets to ensure transparency in wage payments.
Signing of an Annex to the Unified Employment Contract During the Third Quarter of 2025:
It became mandatory for workers to receive their full wages for the 12-month contract period, including the summer vacation (effective from the 2026/2027 academic year), which helps reduce inequality and the negative financial impact of wage gaps during the summer break.
Automation and Wage Transparency
1. Role of the Ministry of Labour: The Ministry of Labour has overseen the implementation of the unified contract’s provisions through its inspection teams.
2. Labour Complaints Platform: The Ministry of Labour developed the “Himaya” platform to receive labour complaints. As of September 2025, a total of 3,202 complaints had been received, with a 98% resolution rate, while 70 complaints are still under process — most of which concern delayed or unpaid wages.
Institutional Commitment and Celebration of Pay Equity
International Equal Pay Day
Under the patronage of Her Royal Highness Princess Basma Bint Talal, an event was held on October 20, 2025, to mark the International Equal Pay Day, the fifteenth anniversary of the establishment of the Jordanian Committee for Pay Equity, and the twentieth meeting of the “Jordanian Committee for Pay Equity.”
This emphasizes the continuity of national commitment to pay equity.
Annual Steering Committee and Technical Meetings of the Equal Pay International Coalition (EPIC)
Jordan participated in the annual meeting, presenting its commitments and achievements on pay equity - particularly in the private education sector - and outlining a comprehensive strategy to address the structural drivers of the gender pay gap. The meeting underscored the importance of broadening the application of the principle of equal pay for work of equal value, instituting mandatory pay-transparency mechanisms, and deepening peer learning among member countries.
Awareness and Knowledge Dissemination
• “Wa’i and Wa’iah” Campaign – Phase III: An awareness campaign on the rights of workers in the private sector, aiming to support national efforts to promote women’s participation and highlight the importance of their role in achieving sustainable national development.
• Providing and distributing publications on pay equity in Arabic and English with the support of the International Labour Organization.
Gender Equality Seal
The Institutional Seal Initiative to Support and Empower Women emerged from the Women’s Empowerment Strategy within the “Economic Modernization Vision” of 2022 and was included in the implementation plan of the National Women’s Strategy 2023–2025.
It aims to encourage public and private sector institutions to create enabling and safe work environments that increase women’s participation in the labour market.
The seal and its criteria were developed through a partnership between the Ministerial Committee for Women’s Empowerment, the Jordanian National Commission for Women, and the King Abdullah II Centre for Excellence, following a participatory approach involving governmental and non-governmental entities.
The seal serves as a certificate of excellence granted to government institutions or economic establishments based on criteria related to their internal policies and procedures addressing gaps in recruitment, employment, professional development, career progression, and pay equity, among others.