Introduction

This case study provides an examination of the coaching and training support provided by Ahel to Jordanian women working as private school teachers who are involved in the “Qom Ma’al Muallem Campaign” [Stand Up with The Teachers]. The case study attempts to document the key elements of Ahel’s coaching approach over the campaign journey extending from April 2015 (the launch of the Campaign) until September 2019 (time of writing this case study). It also seeks to demonstrate how Ahel coaches have contributed to building campaign leadership that has agency for taking organized collective action for the protection of the labour rights of its constituency.

About Case Study

The case study addresses the following questions:

• What was the coaching approach practiced by Ahel in the context of the campaign?
• How did Ahel’s coaching evolve as the campaign evolved and as the capacity and leadership of its members developed? What were the particular drivers for adjustment of Ahel’s approach and how these adjustments defined the respective roles of Ahel and the campaign?
• Provide examples that demonstrate shifts in QMM leadership, power and agency at the collective and individual levels? And how these shifts contributed to the overall effectiveness of the campaign identifying how Ahel’s coaching facilitated this progress
• What are the insights and lessons learnt for the future support to sustaining and enhancing leadership of the campaign as it expands and becomes more independent?

The case study is based on information collected through a series of semi structured interviews of key informants from Ahel coaches, teachers and key allies of the campaign. Preliminary findings were shared with a focus group of key stakeholders to validate the findings and refine the analysis (list of interviews in Annex I). The author also carried out a desk review of reports and materials related to the campaign, resources on the governance of the education sector in Jordan and CommunityOrganizing literature (list of references in Annex I).

It is hoped that this case study will contribute to the practice of Community Organizing by unpacking the innovation and adaptation of Ahel’s coaching approach as demonstrated through the experience of the collective organizing of female private school teachers in Jordan. – p.5

“At the time of writing this case study, the Teachers Union in Jordan succeeded in negotiating a pay increase for teachers working in the public sector. Following a month-long strike at the beginning of the school year, the government responded to the demands of the Union with few compromises made. The strike received public support including through a petition of support signed by civil society organizations including QMM.

This success represents a significant moment in the labour rights movements in Jordan that would hopefully open new opportunities and partnerships for QMM. Moreover, with its experience, culture of collective action and community organizing values, QMM has much to offer to collective action space in Jordan least of which by providing a fine model of a transformative women’s leadership.- p.48

Access Resource

• Leadership for Rights – English
• القيادة من أجل الحقوق – Arabic

Explore Further

• A Case Study of Ahel’s Coaching of Private School Teachers Campaigning for their Rights in Jordan (2015-2019)
• Stand up with the Teacher: A lesson in Community Organizing
• Public Narrative and Its Use in the Stand Up with the Teachers Campaign in Jordan (QMM) (Case Study Report)
• Member Showcase: Coaching Women From Repression to Leadership