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Combatting Child Labor through Vocational Training: Targeting Syrian Refugee Girls in Jordan 20 20 their families out of poverty, which is a significant cause of child labor. Included would be language, reading, and writing lessons to ensure all the girls are educated in these essential areas. It is not clear whether these three subject areas all are currently offered at the Oasis Centers, but, regardless, they would have to be better tailored toward younger learners. In regard to language learning, the possibility of providing it remotely using technology is promising. A 2015 assessment found that about 85% of the youth surveyed in the Za’atari Refugee Camp have access to mobile phones (Maitland et al., 7). TheNorwegianRefugee Council Youth Programme, which has a location in Za’atari, is one organization that is seriously looking into it as a mode of instruction, and it might be beneficial for the UNOasis Centers to collaborate with them. Second, a mentorship program between older women in the Oasis Center and younger girls within the same technical discipline where both sides receive compensation should be established. Along with the technical aspect, these older womenwould also serve as supportingfigures and rolemodels within the younger girls’ lives. Questscope, an NGO that already provides a successful general mentorship program to young people in the Za’atari Refugee Camp, emphasizes personal development and leadership (Questscope). Questscope could be a model for a mentorship program at the Oasis Centers or a potential partner in the future. Providing the girls with payment would help ensure that they are able to still contribute to their families and would not feel as pressured to drop out of the program and get a job that could be potentially hazardous. This is comparable to the Cash-for- Work opportunities that are currently available to the Oasis Centers’ participants. Third, the program should be extended in time. Female participation in the UN Oasis Centers currently lasts from a few months up to a year. In the same way that traditional secondary education lasts until around 18 years of age, these teenage girls would benefit fromamultiyear program to build up their skills repertoire and gain valuable experience before going out into the workforce at 18, or later, if they desire. The goal is to keep them out of child labor, and if someone, for example, enters the program at 15 and leaves just a few months later, then that goal is not achieved. Finally, to break the cycle of child labor, it is essential that there be job support for women after the program, which would enable them to support their families without relying on their children to work. The International Rescue Committee in Jordan offers cash assistance to sustainwomen during the job-search process, and this could be used as a model for the UNOasis Centers. Additionally, to decrease the likelihood and need for child labor, women should have access to financial advisors, from whom they would learn how to manage a budget and support their families without needing the children to work. An important consideration in this plan is remembering that the program’s success lies in its ability to convince parents that it is worth the opportunity cost of sending their children to work. Since child labor traditionally occurs as a mecha- nism to generate income for families, it is vital that parents see this program’s value in order to increase participation in it. Information sessions held in target towns would help the people better understand it and showcase its benefits. A way to promote attendance would be through providing incen- tives like food or other items. These incentives would entice participation and provide an opportunity to demonstrate this program’s advantages, ultimately increasing its impact. Conclusion Existing UN Oasis Centers demonstrate a consistent track record of positively affecting their patrons’ lives. Based on this success, a strategy of expanding the UN Oasis Centers’ scope to target the 15–17-year-old female demographic has the potential to decrease this group’s overarching problem of child labor. With current Oasis Centers serving as the blueprint, it is optimistic to conclude that young refugee women at risk of child labor in Jordan would benefit from a strong support network that equips them with the necessary tools to attain more lucrative and fulfilling opportunities. Implementation of such a tailored program demands cross- collaboration among various stakeholders. Beyond the target demographic of teenage girls, these suggestions inevitably involve coordination with the surrounding community, member governments, and related NGOs. In order to produce a program that creates positive and tangible outcomes, multi- sectoral efforts will need to focus on overcoming several obstacles. The predominant challenge in accomplishing a programof thisnature isattainingadequate funding toprovide enough financial support and cash assistance to deter teenage girls from resorting to premature, unsafe labor opportunities. Addressing this barrier may entail further research on the

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