Women in Leather Industries: Daycare Child Service

For most Ethiopian women, employment comes with the additional burden of childcare and domestic responsibilities. Many choose to stay home to raise their children, often missing opportunities for education, employment, and other life-enriching experiences.

Ensuring gender equality has been a core focus of UNIDO’s Leather Initiative for Sustainable Employment Creation (LISEC) project. Across its implementation, the initiative has targeted abattoirs, tanneries, and youth clusters to ensure equal opportunities for women. One key area of focus is promoting a conducive working environment for female employees in the leather value chain, particularly by supporting and raising awareness about the establishment of childcare services.

Selamawit Alemayehu, 28, and Meseret Asres, 30, are two beneficiaries of childcare services facilitated by the Addis Ababa Abattoirs Enterprise (AAAE). Both women have faced significant challenges, including dropping out of vocational school due to poverty, migrating to Arab countries for domestic work, and working as waitresses before becoming a cleaner and office messenger at a local abattoir.

To empower women in the leather industry, the LISEC project has supported AAAE by ensuring better working conditions for female employees. One of the initiatives was the establishment of a childcare facility for women who could not afford private daycare services for their preschool-aged children. This effort was guided by a gender analysis report that identified childcare as a major barrier to women’s employment and career growth in the leather industry. The project also included awareness campaigns highlighting the value that women employees bring to their roles.

As part of this initiative, AAAE arranged access to a government-run childcare facility located at a safe distance from the abattoir, minimizing exposure to noise and waste.

“The childcare facility is the safest place for my child,” says Meseret. “I can focus on my work during the day and still have time to breastfeed.” Meseret faced pressure from her husband to leave her job and care for their child, but financial constraints made working essential. While her neighbors initially helped with childcare, this support was short-lived. “I’ve been able to keep working thanks to this childcare service,” she adds.

Selamawit’s story highlights a supportive partnership. “My husband takes our daughter to the daycare center in the morning, and I pick her up in the evening,” she says. According to Selamawit, the childcare service has made her child feel safe and allowed her to socialize with others.

In Ethiopia’s patriarchal society, women often bear the primary responsibility for childcare. This burden can limit their access to education, hinder their career development, and restrict their physical availability for jobs requiring consistent presence. By providing childcare services, initiatives like LISEC have enabled women to explore their full potential through education and employment opportunities.