While 1.2 million people are currently employed in the private and public sectors in Jordan, a new report reveals only 24.8 percent of them are women.

The figures were published by the Department of Statistics, which revealed that 70 percent of workers are employed by the private sector, with just 343,000 people working for the public sector.

There are more males than females working in both sectors, with the public sector employing 62.8 percent males, and the private sector employing 80.6 percent males.

The most popular profession among women is in teaching, with 42 percent of employed Jordanian women working in the field.

The report revealed that in 2015, the average monthly salary for men was 600 JOD ($846) for the public sector, and 452 JOD ($637) for the private sector.

In comparison, women are paid noticeably less, earning 518 JOD ($730) in the public sector, and 382 JOD ($539) in the private sector.

“There is no civil punishment when you break the law (related to) equal pay or equal salaries,” Asma Khader, a Jordanian lawyer and former government official and human rights activist, told global non-profit media company Public Radio International (PRI).

This article is an edited translation from the Arabic Edition