In Jordan, and much of the Global South, women face a unique dilemma.

On the one hand, in the face of low rates of female labor force participation and increasing youth unemployment, women are exhorted by governments and NGOs alike to enter the labor force or else become entrepreneurs.

On the other hand, a domestic division of labor, that often places unequal burdens on women, has meant that any engagement in the market economy must occur on top of the unremunerated and unequal care economy.

Compounding this dilemma are the myriad barriers to paid employment: including a general lack of job opportunities, workplace discrimination, social policy (e.g., insufficient maternity leave and lack of childcare) and harassment.