Jordan women in archaeology management plan
UN funds project to help women manage local archaeological site and attract tourists.
The village of Umm el-Jimal, which dates back to the first century AD, is in the poorest and least developed regions of Jordan.
Women are particularly disenfranchised: they have traditionally played little role in the area’s economy, and unemployment among women is twice the rate of men.
The Art Newspaper
March 4, 2014
© Unesco
But now local women are being given the opportunity to manage the archaeological site in their village and attract tourists in a project aimed at developing the local economy.
The Umm el-Jimal Women’s Co-operative Society was founded in 2010 to empower women and reduce poverty. In January, this was given a boost by United Nations Women and Unesco, which have provided $108,000 for a project aimed at helping women manage and preserve the archaeological site of Umm el-Jimal.
Over the next two years, the programme will provide training for 40 women, mostly unemployed, single and with a low level of education, to promote the importance of Umm el-Jimal across Jordan, encourage sustainable tourism, and develop ways to generate income for the community using the historic site.
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