The European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD) is promoting gender equality and work opportunities for all, in Jordan and elsewhere.

“It is not easy for young people to find employment,” Osama Hassan Al-Khudari, assistant chef in a cafe in Amman, said in an EBRD press release. “Thanks to the training I received, I was able to get a job that I love. I learned about the best ways of dealing with customers and fellow employees. This was in addition to other customer service skills I gained.”

A special program funding by the EBRD Special Shareholder Fund, Korea and the Abdali Mall Co. trained 120 young Jordanians to help them gain employment.

“Gaining experience and finding skilled employees are common challenges for job seekers and employers,” Abdelmajid Al Kabariti, CEO of United Real Estate Co.-Jordan, said. “We are proud to offer training programs and significantly improve their employment opportunities.”

The EBRD also has an economic-inclusion plan to help refugees in Jordan and Turkey to help provide equal opportunities for everyone, regardless of gender, birthplace and other factors.

A $7.69 million Gender Advisory Services Program in the southern and eastern Mediterranean areas is helping offer more employment and better treatment of women at a bus company.

“I have been the only female bus driver in Tbilisi for more than three decades in this company, but this is hopefully going to change now,” Margalita Naroushvili said in a press release. “It is very good to see how pre-conceptions about this job as a typical male domain are changing. I get a lot of positive feedback from passengers on how happy they are to see a female driver. I love driving and I cannot imagine my life without it.”

The EBRD’s Women in Business program has grown recently and helps female entrepreneurs obtain business knowledge in 16 countries.