Amman – The Parliamentary Women and Family Affairs Committee, headed by MP Faliha Al-Khudair, held a meeting in the presence of the President of the Union of Workers in the Water, Agriculture and Food Industries Sector, Dr. Bushra Al-Salman, and members of the Union Council, to learn about the role of the Union and discuss the most prominent challenges facing women working in the agricultural sector.

According to a statement by the committee, today, Wednesday, Al-Khudair confirmed that the committee attaches special importance to the issue of women’s economic empowerment, especially in the productive sectors that contribute to enhancing food security and achieving sustainable development, noting that the agricultural sector is one of the vital sectors that has proven its importance.

She appreciated the union’s role in supporting workers and improving the work situation in the water, agriculture and food industries sectors, stressing the importance of union work in serving the worker and society, and promoting dialogue on labor issues, especially with regard to the rights of women workers and their working conditions.

She indicated that the committee will work to remove all obstacles facing women working in this sector, stressing that women’s economic empowerment can only be achieved by providing a work environment that guarantees them fair wages, social security, health insurance, and opportunities for professional development.

She stressed that the committee is ready to cooperate with the relevant authorities and unions to develop legislative and supervisory frameworks to ensure fairness for working women, preserve their dignity, and enhance their sustainable economic participation.

For her part, Al-Salman stressed that the agricultural sector receives direct royal attention, and is part of the axes of the economic modernization vision, especially what is related to empowering women and enhancing their economic participation.

She explained that one of the most prominent demands of the union is to activate the system for workers in the agricultural sector issued in 2021, and to ensure its application in the field in a way that achieves its purpose in regulating the relationship between the worker and the employer, and protecting workers’ rights.

She called for agricultural workers to be included in the umbrella of social protection, especially those working in the unorganized sector, stressing the importance of finding practical mechanisms to include them in health insurance to ensure that they receive the necessary health care.

She stressed the need to create a national database for agricultural workers, especially in the unorganized sector, with the aim of organizing the agricultural labor market and facilitating the processes of inclusion in social security and various insurances.

She pointed out the importance of carrying out periodic field visits to farms to learn about the reality of work, workers’ conditions, and the challenges and difficulties they face on the ground, which contributes to building policies that are more realistic and responsive to their needs.

In turn, Representatives Muhammad Bani Melhem, Islam Al-Azazma, Amal Al-Shaqran, Bayan Al-Mahsiri, Mai Al-Zayadna, May Al-Harahsheh, Shifa Al-Muqaba, Faryal Bani Salman, and Hamza Al-Toubasi stressed that protecting agricultural workers and enhancing their professional stability constitute a fundamental pillar in supporting national food security and enhancing the sustainability of the agricultural sector.

They also affirmed their full support for the role of the union and for workers in the water, agriculture and food industries sectors, pointing out that national food security is closely linked to securing workers in the agricultural sector and protecting them socially and economically.