Through targeted training and mentorship, the programme has seen remarkable success, 70% of its trainees have been promoted. By building confidence of women workers, improving kills, and opening doors to new opportunities, the initiative is not only advancing careers but also reshaping the future of workplace equality in the industry. Hawassa, Ethiopia (ILO News) – A growing number of women in Ethiopia’s garment sector are moving from operational roles to leadership positions, thanks to ILO/IFC Better Work’s Women Leadership Development Programme (WLDP). Since its launch in 2021, the programme has trained over 234 women, with an average of 70% promoted to supervisory roles, a milestone that marks significant progress in promoting workplace equality and inclusive industrial growth. In addition, our of 178 senior supervisors who served as mentors, 10 were promoted to middle-level leadership positions.The programme’s holistic approach, combining classroom learning, practical exercises, and sustained mentorship, is helping women workers move from factory floor roles to leadership positions across Ethiopia’s industrial parks. Participating factories have seen improved line efficiency, higher product quality, and absenteeism, while women workers have developed critical skills in decision-making, conflict resolution, communication, influencing, problem solving skills and planning skills.At JP Garment, Azeb Abraham, an Industrial Engineering Executive, described how the programme accelerated her professional growth:“Before the training, I struggled with communication and lacked self-confidence. After completing the ILO’s Leadership and Technical Skills training, I now take the lead, communicate clearly, and lead my team with confidence,” said Azeb. “As a mentor, I coached three women workers, and one of them was promoted from jumper to line supervisor, an achievement that improved her career and salary. This training doesn't just change your work life; it transforms your personal life too.”Since its launch in 2021, the programme has trained over 234 women, with an average of 70% promoted to supervisory rolesAt Indochine Garment, Mekdes Alamu shared a similar experience:“The Leadership and Technical Skills training helped me sharpen my production skills, minimize product waste, improve my punctuality, and operate multiple machines,” said Mekdes. “It’s not just about technical growth, the training improved my communication skills, teamwork, and confidence. I hope more workers get this opportunity.”In addition to trained women workers, mentors are central to the success of WLDP. Firew Eshetu, an IE Executive at Indochine Garment, reflected on his experience coaching women workers:“Before the training, I viewed my job simply as a means of income. But through the ILO’s training, I discovered my ability to lead and support others, enhanced my communication, time management, and problem-solving skills. said Firew. “Mentoring helped me grow personally and professionally. I believe expanding this training would significantly boost productivity and employee’s satisfaction.”Coordinating the programme’s fourth round at Indochine Garment, Health and Safety Executive Aster Kebede noted the wide-ranging impact:“The training and mentorship approach empowered participants to grow in their careers and personal development”, said Aster. “It’s a rewarding experience to see mentees progress, and coordinating the programme helped identify my own areas for improvement and strengthen my skills.”A Pipeline for Inclusive LeadershipThe WLDP was launched as a flagship component of the ILO’s Better Work Ethiopia programme, which promoted better jobs and more equitable workplaces in Ethiopia’s industrial parks and concluded in May 2025. In addition to training women workers, the initiative builds factory-level coaching and mentorship by training mentors, often senior supervisors and HR professionals, who provide ongoing guidance and foster a culture of inclusive leadership.Building on this momentum, the Programme is now preparing to launch a Women Leaders Network in Hawassa and Addis Ababa. The network will connect graduates of the WLDP across Hawassa and Bole Lemi Industrial Parks in both cities, creating a dynamic platform to: foster mentorship and peer learning; elevate the visibility of women leaders; promote collaboration across factories and support women’s career advancement and leadership growth. This exciting initiative marks another significant step toward empowering women and strengthening inclusive leadership across Ethiopia’s industrial landscape.The programme’s reach is also expanding beyond the garment sector. It has recently extended into horticulture and partnered with the Ministry of Industry to roll out similar Women Leadership Development Programme in eight additional enterprises, seven of which are women-owned. This expansion highlights the programme’s adaptability and relevance across Ethiopia’s broader industrial development.Measurable Impact, Growing Demand“The impact of the WLDP is both measurable and deeply personal,” said Tigist Fisseha, Team Leader, ILO Better Work Ethiopia. We are not only increasing productivity on the factory floor but helping women unlock their full leadership potential—transforming lives, workplaces, and communities.As the fifth round of training unfolds, and with preparations for the Women Leaders Network underway, the WLDP continues to demonstrate how targeted skills development, mentorship, and inclusive practices can empower women and accelerate Ethiopia’s industrial transformation—one leader at a time.The programme promoted better jobs and more equitable workplaces in Ethiopia’s industrial parks About the Programme: The ILO’s Better Work program in Ethiopia aims to improve labour standards and competitiveness in the garment and textile industry. Launched in partnership with the International Finance Corporation (IFC), it supports factory compliance with labour laws and international labour standards. The program provides training and advisory services to employers and workers. It also fosters dialogue among stakeholders, including government, employers, and trade unions. Ultimately, it seeks to promote decent work and sustainable economic growth in Ethiopia’s growing industrial sector.

The Afar pastoral women   and girls have faced various critical challenges. Internally displaced women and girls living in the Region have been particularly exposed to sexual violence. To address these multi-faceted challenges, UN Women, through the Women Peace and Humanitarian Fund (WPHF) supports the local women’s rights organization, Afar Community Initiative Sustainable Development Association (ACISDA), to improve the lives of marginalized and hard-to-reach pastoral women and girls in Afar. Zahra Mohammed, a dedicated women and children’s officer at Aba’ala district police in Afar region, has witnessed firsthand the difference the project is making. She believes there is significant improvement in GBV response and case handling in the district, and she points to one critical reason: the establishment of a coordination platform that brings all service providers and community leaders responsible to respond to VAWG. This platform, established through UN Women and ACISDA’s joint project, has given Zahra and her colleagues the tools to work hand in hand, ensuring that no survivor is left without protection or a path to justice. Zahra noted that the platform strengthened collaboration among all service providers to ensure that GBV cases reported are effectively referred to the different police, health, legal and other response services. “Taking cases to elders and solve them the ‘traditional’ way did not allow holding perpetrators accountable, but the newly established coordination mechanism helped us narrow this gap” Zahara reckons.Although Zahra remains hopeful for greater change, she does not shy away from speaking about the challenges. “When we take cases to court, the lack of medical evidence in rape cases makes it almost impossible to secure convictions or appropriate sentences. On top of that, tribal and religious leaders create many hurdles—sometimes even going as far as removing perpetrators from prison. We hope this project will help us change this reality,” she concludes. ACISDA already provided training to 45 established grassroot law enforcement body forum members on women’s rights, gender equality, and prevention of GBV for them to ensure effective access to justice. By developing their own GBV mitigation action plan, these law enforcement body forums are now able to monitor GBV cases within the communities. As a result, eleven GBV cases were reported to court and have resulted in legal actions, and the survivors were provided with Mental Health and Psychosocial Support (MHPSS) services.Mekia Abdella, a Women and Social Affairs officer in Aba’ala district, has seen the devastating toll that conflict-related sexual violence (CRSV) has taken on her community. “There is a one stop center, and when cases get reported, we immediately refer survivors to receive comprehensive essential services. We also follow up their cases in court.” Thanks to the community mobilization campaigns supported by ACISDA’s projects, Mekia has also witnessed a decline in harmful practices such as female genital mutilation (FGM) and child marriage—an encouraging sign of progress amidst the challenges.Both Zahra and Mekia recall that before the conflict, rape was rare in their communities. It was such a cultural taboo that perpetrators risked being ostracized by their tribe, and in some cases, even faced violent retribution from survivors’ families. “The war changed everything,” they explain. Sexual violence has become rampant, especially in areas directly affected by fighting and in neighboring districts.Adnan Hussien, Program Manager at ACISDA, states that the partnership with UN Women and the support of WPHF funding has enabled the organization to expand its reach from one to four districts, including some of the most hard-to-reach areas of Afar. The project has also elevated ACISDA’s visibility and sparked wider public discussion on GBV. As part of this effort, ACISDA trained 20 journalists from Afar TV, radio, and social media, equipping them with the skills to report more responsibly and effectively on gender-based violence—particularly in the context of internally displaced people (IDPs) in the region.As someone who was born and raised in the region, Adnan has seen the reality of women’s and girls’ rights up close. “I worked in Bureau of Women and Social Affairs of the region for 12 years. From my experience, I can say that thanks to organizations like UN Women, women’s issues are finally being acknowledged in the region and are starting to get the attention they deserve,” he explains. He reflects on how deeply rooted gender inequalities once were. “The status of women used to be so low—some weren’t even allowed to eat with their husbands, and most never dared to speak up. But now, slowly, this is changing as women gain access to education,” Adnan adds, with guarded hope for the future.Through the project led by Adnan and his colleagues at ACISDA, more than 33,000 women and girls have already been reached across conflict-affected areas of Afar. A key part of this impact has come from strengthening the influence and agency of 70 women development association leaders, women’s rights defenders, and women political representatives, enabling them to play a more active role in ending sexual and gender-based violence (SGBV). Local Innovation Takes Center Stage for Food Security and Resilience: IGNITE Food Systems Challenge 2.0 in EthiopiaAddis Ababa, Ethiopia – Twelve promising innovators from Ethiopia’s Somali and Tigray regions gathered in September to pitch innovative solutions aimed at transforming food systems and building resilience. The pitch created a platform for enterprises that have innovative and community-driven solutions to tackle food insecurity in Ethiopia.The event marked a key milestone in IGNITE Food Systems Innovation Challenge, a flagship initiative led by the World Food Programme (WFP) and supported by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Denmark (DANIDA). The challenge, now in its second round, builds on the success of its inaugural edition in Afar and Amhara, where six agri-SMEs received equity-free grants and technical support. This year, the focus shifted to the Somali and Tigray regions, areas deeply affected by climate shocks, conflicts and systemic food system vulnerabilities. The 12 semi-finalists, selected from a competitive pool of applicants, presented innovations spanning agricultural productivity, value addition, post-harvest management, digitization, and market access. Each team had the opportunity to pitch their ideas to a panel of judges and presented their solutions for a more food-secure and resilient Ethiopia.Of the 12 strong pitches, seven finalists were chosen based on a rigorous evaluation process that considered innovation potential, scalability, impact on food systems resilience, potential for integration with WFP and partner programmes, and business viability. The selected teams demonstrated not only strong technical solutions but also a clear understanding of local challenges and a commitment to inclusive, sustainable development.What’s at StakeThe seven winners of the challenge will receive up to 30,000 USD in grant funding, access to acceleration support, market linkages, and connections to investment opportunities including the World Food Invest – WFP's new impact fund aimed at supporting private sector role in food systems transformation. As the selected ventures move into the acceleration phase, they will receive tailored technical support to refine their business models and prepare for scale. The ultimate goal is to integrate successful innovations into WFP operations and national food systems, ensuring lasting impact.With climate change and food insecurity posing urgent threats, IGNITE 2.0 demonstrates the critical role of local innovation in building resilient, nutrition-sensitive food systems and ensure a more food-secure future for Ethiopia.

Twelve promising innovators from Ethiopia’s Somali and Tigray regions gathered in September to pitch innovative solutions aimed at transforming food systems and building resilience. The pitch created a platform for enterprises that have innovative and community-driven solutions to tackle food insecurity in Ethiopia.The event marked a key milestone in IGNITE Food Systems Innovation Challenge, a flagship initiative led by the World Food Programme (WFP) and supported by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Denmark (DANIDA). The challenge, now in its second round, builds on the success of its inaugural edition in Afar and Amhara, where six agri-SMEs received equity-free grants and technical support. This year, the focus shifted to the Somali and Tigray regions, areas deeply affected by climate shocks, conflicts and systemic food system vulnerabilities. The 12 semi-finalists, selected from a competitive pool of applicants, presented innovations spanning agricultural productivity, value addition, post-harvest management, digitization, and market access. Each team had the opportunity to pitch their ideas to a panel of judges and presented their solutions for a more food-secure and resilient Ethiopia.Of the 12 strong pitches, seven finalists were chosen based on a rigorous evaluation process that considered innovation potential, scalability, impact on food systems resilience, potential for integration with WFP and partner programmes, and business viability. The selected teams demonstrated not only strong technical solutions but also a clear understanding of local challenges and a commitment to inclusive, sustainable development.What’s at StakeThe seven winners of the challenge will receive up to 30,000 USD in grant funding, access to acceleration support, market linkages, and connections to investment opportunities including the World Food Invest – WFP's new impact fund aimed at supporting private sector role in food systems transformation. As the selected ventures move into the acceleration phase, they will receive tailored technical support to refine their business models and prepare for scale. The ultimate goal is to integrate successful innovations into WFP operations and national food systems, ensuring lasting impact.With climate change and food insecurity posing urgent threats, IGNITE 2.0 demonstrates the critical role of local innovation in building resilient, nutrition-sensitive food systems and ensure a more food-secure future for Ethiopia.

The Ministry of Labour and Skills (MoLS), in collaboration with the International Labour Organization (ILO) under the Better Regional Migration Management (BRMM) Programme, launched the LeMengede (ለመንገዴ) mobile application at an event held at the Hyatt Regency Hotel in Addis Ababa. The app is designed to provide Ethiopian migrant workers with access to essential information and support services throughout the migration process.The launch was attended by representatives from government institutions, social partners, international organizations, diplomatic missions, civil society groups, and returnee migrants. The discussions highlighted ongoing efforts to improve protection for Ethiopian migrant domestic workers, with a particular focus on addressing challenges faced by women working in less regulated sectors abroad.The LeMengede app, developed with technical support from the ILO and funding from the UK’s Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO), offers multilingual information on safe migration, rights awareness, complaint-handling mechanisms, and an emergency SOS feature. It serves as a practical digital companion for migrant workers, before departure, while abroad, and upon return.The launch was inaugurated by Mr. Khumbula Ndaba, ILO Country Director for Ethiopia, Djibouti, Somalia, Sudan, and South Sudan, and H.E. Ms. Nebiha Mohammed, State Minister, Ministry of Labour and Skills. In his keynote address, Mr. Ndaba highlighted the ILO’s longstanding commitment to promoting decent work for all, particularly in migration corridors where risks are most pronounced. He reaffirmed the ILO’s support to the Government of Ethiopia in strengthening fair recruitment, data-driven migration governance, and the integration of digital tools such as LeMengede into national systems.H.E. Ms. Nebiha Mohammed emphasized the government’s dedication to addressing the root causes of irregular migration and enhancing protection mechanisms for migrant workers. She commended the collaboration with ILO and other stakeholders in developing the app, which she described as a “critical leap forward in bridging information gaps and reinforcing worker protections.”Following the opening, a short video demo and live walk-through of the app showcased its core features, from SOS alerts to QR-code-based user identification. MoLS representatives provided insight into how the app links to the broader Labour Market Information System (E-LMIS) and supports the country’s overseas employment governance.A technical presentation by the ILO highlighted Ethiopia’s progress under the BRMM programme, including reforms in recruitment practices, capacity building, and the digitization of labour migration data systems.The highlight of the event was a panel discussion that brought together perspectives from government institutions, the private sector, and returnee migrants. The discussion focused on how digital tools like the LeMengede app can improve migration governance, promote transparency in the recruitment process, and strengthen protection mechanisms for migrant workers. Panellists discussed the importance of integrating such tools into pre-departure training, ensuring alignment with fair recruitment standards, and drawing from regional experiences to enhance coordination. The session also highlighted the value of practical, accessible information for migrants and the need for continued collaboration to make digital solutions more responsive to the realities faced by workers, both before departure and while abroad.The event concluded with a call for continued collaboration among stakeholders to expand awareness and ensure the LeMengede app is effectively integrated into Ethiopia’s broader migration governance framework. Participants emphasized the need to strengthen outreach efforts and encouraged institutions to actively promote the app within their respective communities so it can reach and serve the migrant workers who need it most.Written by: Yonas Zewdie