The Higher Population Council held a training workshop for members of the municipalities of Greater Ajloun, Greater Madaba, and Mahis in “strategic planning and integrating the population and gender dimensions in local planning” from August 30 to September 1, 2020, as part of the “Decentralizing Government and Centralizing Gender in Jordanian Municipal Councils” project implemented by HPC in partnership with HIVOS.
The three-day workshop aimed to build the capacities of participants in strategic planning in development contexts, raise awareness about the importance of integrating the population and gender dimensions in municipal planning, and review local plans and budgets from population and gender perspectives to ensure the sustainability of development and safeguard the rights and interests of future generations with the participation of men and women. The workshop also aimed to highlight the importance of focusing on gender-responsive local development planning to guarantee the allocation of resources based on gender needs.
HPC Assistant Secretary General, Rania Al Abbadi, stated that the related population and demographic dynamics (births, deaths, migrations) impact all aspects of human life including the environment, and stressed the need to integrate population issues in development plans, which requires identifying and addressing population-related strategic factors in a systematic way in each development sector.
Abbadi stressed the important role municipalities play in achieving development and the progress of communities in all fields and highlighted the need to unify national efforts to achieve the desired goals and best serve population and development issues.
The workshop offered presentations about the social and economic situation of governorates, the importance of integrating the demographic and gender dimensions in local plans, as well as an introduction to strategies and strategic options to achieving sustainability.
The main anticipated outcomes of the workshop are local plans that take into account the population and gender dimensions and building the strategic planning skills of municipal council members.
