Amman: Jordan has achieved a significant milestone by ranking third in the Global Gender Gap Index 2025 at the Arab level, as reported by the Jordan Economic Forum (JEF).
According to Jordan News Agency, this achievement underscores a commitment to reducing the gender gap, which is considered a fundamental development and economic driver that enhances the efficiency of the national economy and boosts productivity.
The JEF highlighted that the Global Gender Gap Index 2025 revealed a global gap closure rate of 68.8%, with Jordan recording a rate of 65.5%. This places Jordan third in the Arab region, following the UAE at 72.4% and Bahrain at 68.4%. The announcement was made in a paper titled “Jordanian Women and Equal Opportunities: Jordan’s Performance in the Global Gender Gap Index 2025,” aimed at supporting national development and strengthening Jordan’s position in international gender equality and women’s empowerment indicators.
The forum emphasized Jordan’s commitment over the past decade to narrowing the gender gap, incorporating women’s empowerment strategies into the Economic Modernization Vision and sustainable development programs. The Ministry of Social Development’s strategic plan (2022-2026) also reflects a commitment to raising women’s participation in development to 27% by 2025, and integrating gender into institutional policies and programs.
The JEF noted that these efforts are beginning to reflect in Jordan’s performance on the gender gap index, which improved from 0.593 in 2014 to 0.655 in 2025. This improvement is attributed to increased female enrollment rates in higher education and expanded participation in the education and health sectors. However, challenges remain in economic participation and political empowerment.
Despite legislative improvements, Jordanian women’s labor market participation rate remains low, and political representation is limited. The Local Administration Law No. (22) of 2021 marked a turning point, raising women’s representation in local and regional councils to 25%. The Political Parties Law of 2022 mandates that women comprise at least 20% of founding members in political parties, enhancing women’s presence in party structures.
The JEF also noted positive results from the 2024 legislative impact assessment study on women’s political participation, with 44% of women participating in Jordanian political parties by 2025. The forum called for continued reforms to improve the business environment, expand social protection, and encourage women’s entrepreneurship, which are essential for reducing the gender gap.
Over the past decade, performance in the index’s sub-axes has been uneven. The educational attainment index improved from over 0.97 in 2014 to 0.99 in 2025, reflecting Jordanian women’s educational achievements. The health axis index rose from 0.94 in 2014 to 0.956 in 2025, indicating better healthcare services and equal health opportunities. The economic participation and opportunity axis ranged between 0.50 and 0.55, settling at 0.552 in 2025, while the political empowerment axis improved modestly from 0.07 in 2014 to 0.12 in 2025.