Over the last three decades Jordan has made substantial investments in its human resources, spending
more than 10 percent of GDP on health and education. Like their male counterparts, women and girls
have benefitted from these policies and their quality of life has improved. Female school enrollments have
risen across all income groups. Child health indicators such as immunization rates and infant mortality
have improved. Fertility rates have declined as well, improving women’s health. Between 1980 and 2010,
literacy rates for youth females rose from 55% to 99%, and female life expectancy rose from 66 to 75
years, compared to a rise from 63 to 72 years for men. However, these achievements in human
development have not yet translated into considerable increases in economic participation or in women’s
participation in political and social life.