Enabling Women in Jordan to Thrive through Accessible and Quality Childcare: Introducing the BUCRA Project

In the quiet village of Dogara in Northern Jordan, far from the conveniences of the city, job opportunities are scarce. Wafaa shared her story of nearly giving up her 18-year career—not because of a lack of skills or ambition, but because she couldn’t find a safe place to care for her newborn baby. Her experience is just one of many in rural Jordan, where the absence of childcare services poses a significant challenge to working women. Jordan ranks among the countries with the lowest rates of women’s economic participation globally, with childcare as a major obstacle to their workforce engagement and economic empowerment (ILO, 2022).

Childcare is the cornerstone of social protection and economic empowerment in Jordan and is one of the 13 priorities in the Women’s Empowerment Strategy within the Economic Modernization Vision. Access to quality child care is vital for supporting women’s transition from informal to formal employment, yet the demand far outweighs the supply.  Jordan’s strategy for women’s empowerment, developed by the inter-Ministerial Committee, focuses on eliminating gender-based discrimination, increasing women’s workforce participation, and promoting their role in economic decision-making. It also aims to integrate gender equality into public and private sector activities. 

Studies reveal that Jordan would need 40,000 new nurseries to meet the current needs. Both new and existing nurseries must be more affordable and provide high-quality services to ensure families can fully utilize and benefit from them. The quality of early childhood care affects how childcare is viewed and can lead to low wages, poor social protection, and limited rights for many women working in the sector. Additionally, gender norms position women as primary caregivers, discouraging them from seeking employment and devaluing the importance of childcare services.

Introducing BUCRA

The Burden of Childcare Reduced and Addressed for Women in Jordan (BUCRA) project is a five-year initiative (2024 to 2029) funded by Global Affairs Canada, and implemented by the World University Service of Canada WUSC, in partnership with the National Council for Family Affairs and SADAQA and the Vocational Training Corporation, designed to enhance the economic empowerment of women in Jordan. BUCRA adopts a systems-based approach, engaging local stakeholders and supporting government agencies, training bodies, the private sector, and communities to drive gender-transformative change that addresses the most pressing childcare challenges preventing women from participating in the workforce in Jordan. 

Key objectives include:

• Empowering over 8,600 women to excel in the early childhood care and development (ECCD) sector across seven regions.
• Improving childcare services’ reach and quality in cities across Jordan such as Amman, Madaba, Irbid, Ajloun, Zarka, Maan, and Karak.
• Advancing economic growth by empowering women in the workforce, which benefits both community and national development.

Targeting over 8,600 women across seven regions, BUCRA is designed to create lasting change by equipping key stakeholders with the tools and knowledge to overcome systemic barriers. This approach ensures that the impacts of the initiative will be felt by women throughout Jordan for years to come. Bucra or [بكرة] also means tomorrow in Arabic. 

BUCRA’s Key Focus Areas entail:

1. Quality Training for ECCD Providers: Helping training providers offer inclusive, high-quality, and gender–sensitive, market-relevant courses that include everyone.
2. Support for Women’s Employment: Linking women to ECCD employment opportunities and starting their own home-based nurseries.
3. Strengthening Policies: Working with stakeholders to develop processes and regulations and enforce policies that support quality, inclusive, gender-responsive ECCD services.
4. Changing Attitudes: Improving perceptions among women, their families, and communities about women’s work and the importance of ECCD.
5. Enhancing ECCD Services: Helping ECCD employers provide inclusive, gender-responsive, and high-quality childcare services.

Meet our partners

BUCRA is implemented with a number of partners, including civil society organizations such as the National Council for Family Affairs (NCFA), SADAQA, and the Vocational Training Corporation under the umbrella of the Ministry of Social Development.

The lasting impact of BUCRA on women and communities

“The nursery was safe and secure for myself and my daughter, I feel at ease that the caregivers are trained.” – Explains Wafaa. 

Now, Wafaa’s story takes a hopeful turn. She was introduced to Tasneem, a home-based nursery provider in her community. Tasneem had completed the newly accredited early childcare education program developed through a pilot initiative by WUSC (under the WE LEAD project) funded by Global Affairs Canada and delivered by the Vocational Training Corporation. She has since opened her own childcare business and was looking for more clients. After enrolling her daughter in Tasneem’ nursery, Wafa was able to continue her career.

This was a turning point not only for Wafaa but for Tasneem as well, who transformed her passion for childcare into a sustainable livelihood. 

With the support of this program, Tasneem gained the skills and confidence to open her nursery, providing a safe and nurturing environment for children in her community while also creating a pathway for women like Wafaa to return to work. The benefits of this initiative are clear: more women are able to participate in the workforce, children receive quality care, and local economies grow stronger. This is the heart of BUCRA—reducing the burden of childcare and enabling more women like Tasneem and Wafaa to thrive.

Learn more about BUCRA by watching this video.

Together with our partners, we are committed to driving gender-transformative change and creating a more inclusive, enabling future for women and their families in Jordan.