AMMAN - HRH Princess Basma on Monday highlighted the active role women will play in the next Parliament to support national development, and expressed gratitude towards every woman participating in the electoral process.

During a ceremony to release a study on gender in the public sector, the Princess said steps have been taken to engage women in the elections both as voters and as candidates, which she said reflects confidence on the part of the public sector and civil society in women’s readiness to participate in the democratic process.

The study titled, “Gender Auditing in the Public Sector in Jordan”, was conducted by the Jordanian National Commission for Women (JNCW) to measure gender mainstreaming in public sector institutions.

During the ceremony, JNCW Assistant Secretary General Muna Mutaman, who headed the research team, said the study was the first of its kind in the Arab world to encompass the public sector in its entirety.

The report revealed that female representation in the public sector decreases when moving upwards in the organisational hierarchy and increases when moving downwards.

Covering 81 institutions, the study found that females occupy 10 per cent of senior management, 18 per cent of middle management, and 46 per cent of non-management positions.

“This study provides decision makers with a clear image of women’s status in the public sector,” Princess Basma said, highlighting the importance of bridging the gender gap revealed by the results.

Noting that the gender gap directly influences development in the Kingdom and the world, she said the repercussions of the economic crisis can be overcome only through partnership between men and women.

Princess Basma stressed the need to take the necessary measures to increase women’s self-confidence and their communities’ faith in them, which will facilitate their access to leadership positions based on