Princess Basma attends launch of women-empowerment initiative

ZARQA – Eighty vulnerable women from Zarqa on Wednesday started a training regiment by PepsiCo to enable them to join the labour force.

HRH Princess Basma attended the launch of the initiative currently targeting women in Zarqa and Ruseifa, some 22 kilometres east of Amman.

In the second phase of the Opportunities Because You Can initiative, 14 of the trainees will join specialised workshops at the company’s factory. 

The World Economic Forum’s recent Global Competitiveness Report for 2015-2016 put women’s participation in the labour force in Jordan at the bottom of the ladder, ranking it at 138 out of 140 countries covered in the index.

Director General of PepsiCo-Jordan Nidal Hamam said the initiative is part of the company’s Corporate Social Responsibility strategy to empower the less privileged and help them find suitable work opportunities.

“The launch of the initiative corresponds with our belief in the vital role that women play alongside men in the advancement of our society, both socially and economically. We strive to continuously empower less-fortunate women in the areas in which our company operates,” he added at a ceremony held Wednesday.   

Princess Basma commended the programme, which she noted provides an example of national companies that contribute to sustainable development.

“The title of the initiative itself refers to the abilities of Jordanian women to prove themselves and serve their communities and homeland,” she said.

At the ceremony, the princess handed out certificates to participants in the initiative.