Highlights on Woman's Rights under the Jordanian Labour Law and Social Security Law

Woman's liberation movement was not the product of the 20th century human rights organizations. It was begun in the seventh century and it was revealed by Allah, the Almighty, to a man by the Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) (Al-Fozan, 1420H, 6). The Holy Quran and the Noble Traditions of the Prophet are the sources from which every Muslim woman derives her rights and duties (Heyam, 1989, 15; Ministry of Information, 2005b, 23).
 
Fourteen centuries ago, Islam made men and women equally accountable to Allah in glorifying and worshipping (Al-Shalabi, 1983, 61). Islam established a woman's equality in her humanity with a man (Ministry of Information, 2005b, 23). In the Holy Quran, Allah, the Almighty, says: "O mankind! Be careful of your duty to your Lord who created you from a single soul and from it its mate and from them both have spread abroad a multitude of men and women. Be careful of your duty towards Allah in whom you claim (your mutual rights) of one another, and towards the wombs (that bore you). Lo! Allah has been a watcher over you" (Holy Quran, 4:1).
 
Unfortunately, in some Arab and Muslim societies a woman began to lose her primacy and autonomy as a human being, to become an object for physical pleasure and commercial promotion (Al-Fozan, 1420H, 3 & 10; Smith, 1980, 43). Her purpose in life is changed. It became more to realize her femininity than to fulfil her humanity (Muhammad, 1990, 17-18; Al-Turabi, 2003, 31).
 
This article sheds some light on woman's rights under the Jordanian Labour Law and Social Security Law. Firstly, it discusses woman's rights in Islam. Secondly, it discusses the position of woman in Jordan. Thirdly, it considers woman's rights under the Jordanian legislations, and finally it considers woman's rights under the Jordanian Labour Law of 1996 and the Jordanian Social Security Law of 2001.