Ministry of Social Development on Tuesday launched "Takatof" Project for Gender Equality and Social Cohesion, in the governorates of Amman, Karak and Jerash, which is implemented by Expertise France, with funding from the French Development Agency (AFD). During the project's launching ceremony, the ministry's Secretary-General, Dr. Barq Dmour, said in implementation of the directives of His Majesty King Abdullah II and His Royal Highness Crown Prince Al Hussein bin Abdullah II, work is underway to enhance participation of Jordanian women in all fields, facilitate their access to leadership positions, and change stereotypical view on women's work by providing fair opportunities and continuous support for them. Jordan, Dmour noted, has taken "important" reform steps in the field of women's rights, social justice, gender equality, and equal opportunities in rights and duties. Outcomes of the Royal Committee to Modernize the Political System provided constitutional amendments related to women and took into acc ount the principle of gender equality, primarily amending paragraph 6 of Article 6 of the Constitution to ensure women empowerment, he pointed out. Additionally, he noted a slew of laws were approved in the field of labor law, social security, and companies law, adding that Jordan's ranking on the Women, Business, and Law Index rose by 12.5 points for the year 2023, as well as other amendments that support women's progress and increase their empowerment and effective participation. Dmour said: "In this project, we look forward to contributing to build on these successful efforts and experiences to create community development centers that are equipped, adapted, and responsive to gender with all their services and programs." Dmour stated that this endeavor comes, in cooperation with civil society institutions present in the project's areas of operation of Jerash, Amman, and Karak, to achieve tangible benefits and ensure sustainable outcomes for better services for the most vulnerable groups. For his part, French Ambassador to the Kingdom, Alexis Le Cour Grandmaison, said the project was built on the two countries' previous "constructive cooperative" experience within the framework of the EU-funded Support to Social Protection Programme in Jordan. The envoy added that: "We will seek together to enhance cooperation among stakeholders from government agencies, civil society institutions, local authorities, and the private sector." Through innovation and upgraded local capacities, he said the two sides seek to make "tangible" improvements to the daily lives of vulnerable groups. Source: Jordan News Agency