Ethiopia Empowering Women Through Maximizing Job Opportunities

November 3, 2024

With an effort made to detach women from the cycle of poverty and make them reliant economically, various works are being done by various development partners and stakeholders, concurrent to the activities carried out by the government. As a result, it was possible to capacitate women with the needed knowledge and skills and engage them in income-generating activities.

However, due to the scope and depth of the problem, there are still gaps in terms of solving the problem in a sustainable way and making them stand on their own two feet. To this end, various governmental and nongovernmental organizations are exerting utmost effort to accelerate women’s empowerment and improve their livelihood through devising different mechanisms.

Recently, a project dubbed ‘Visit Lalibela’ and aimed at empowering women through technical support in essential sectors was introduced by the Center for Accelerated Women’s Economic Empowerment (CAWEE) in partnership with the German Development Cooperation (GIZ).

As it was stated, the project would be implemented in sectors such as tourism and agriculture to build the capacity of young females in Lalibela Town and empower them economically by creating job opportunities.

The initiative provides marketable skills and market linkage support, focusing on four key sectors: hand-weaving, pottery, female tour guiding, and beeswax extraction. As part of the project activity, an assessment of the current honey potential in Lalibela was conducted by Apinec TVET Training Center, where a workshop was organized to validate the findings.

Accordingly, “Visit Lalibela,” a validation workshop entitled “Assessment of the Existing Honey Potential in Lalibela: Identifying Honey and Beeswax Products,” was held here in Addis Ababa by CAWEE in the presence of stakeholders, pertinent bodies, and partners from GIZ, the Ministry of Agriculture, CAWEE Men Goodwill Ambassadors, and government representatives from Lalibela and Bahir Dar town, among others.

Speaking on the occasion, CAWEE Founder and Executive Director Nigest Haile (PhD) said that the initiative focuses on equipping women with skills in high-demand areas, including hand-weaving, pottery, beeswax extraction, and tour guiding.

She emphasized that the project’s role is to complement governmental efforts and revitalize the tourism industry while economically empowering local women there in Ethiopia.

The workshop’s significance lies in facilitating the promotion of traditional Ethiopian hand-woven outfits and pottery produced by women. It also aspires to create market connections and validate research on honey production in Lalibela, aiming to involve more women in beeswax-related products like candles and beauty creams.

Out of 100 marginalized young women selected by the Lalibela City Administration, 15 have received training in hand weaving, 15 in pottery, and 20 in tour guiding, allowing them to begin their careers in these sectors, according to Nigest (PhD).

In addition to activities in Ethiopia, CAWEE has established an office in Kenya, Nairobi, and it is in the process of launching satellite offices in Lomé, Togo; Kinshasa, DRC; and Accra, Ghana, to maximize the potential of African women that promote products created by Ethiopian women.

The Head of the Heritage Conservation and Tourism Development Division at the Lalibela Culture and Tourism Office, Mandefro Tadesse, stated on his part the practical significance of the initiative in terms of supporting the tourism sector in the area and enabling the local community to generate income.

According to him, the trained women in tour guiding and traditional craft businesses have already begun their ventures in Lalibela Town.

The Chairman of the Association of Tour Guides in Lalibela Town, Estalu Kelemu, also highlighted the importance of women’s participation in the tourism sector.

Estalu said that the sector is noting its potential benefits for both the local economy and the broader socio-economic landscape of the country.

CAWEE has been operational in Ethiopia since 2004 and celebrated its 20th anniversary this year.

BY MUSSA MUHAMMED

The Ethiopian Herald November 3/2024