but there are still big differences between nations, su as s whent comemes the proportition of women n in thed labobor force. inin t u.s., 56% of women anad girls over the age of 15 engage in paid work. in the e.u. that figure is slightly lower, 51%. but in the middle east and north africa, an average of just 21% of women have paid work. in j jordan, that t figure is t 1414%. change, though, is in the air. reporter: drilling, hammering, and hauling, and all in a hijab. aisha knows some people would be surprised to see her doing this kind of handiwork. but she does it anyway, even if it gets pretty grimy. aisha: i'm used to it now. i enjoy this work. it doesn't bother me anymore. reporter: aisha and her team of plumbers are working on a construction site for luxury flats in amman. they have a range of responsibilities. they're fitting solar panels, cleaning water canisters, and sawing pipes. at the same time, they're challenging gender roles in the arab world. these observant muslim women are doing a typical man's job with great enthusiasm. >> i'm very happy to repair toilets and wash