The ILO Better Work Women Leadership Development Programme has trained 234 women in Ethiopia's garment sector since 2021, achieving a 70% promotion rate to supervisory roles while also advancing 10 senior supervisor mentors to middle-level leadership positions.
- The programme operates through classroom learning, practical exercises, and sustained mentorship across Ethiopia's industrial parks.
- Women develop critical skills in decision-making, conflict resolution, communication, influencing, problem solving and planning through the training approach.
- The initiative has expanded beyond garments into horticulture and partnered with eight additional enterprises, seven of which are women-owned.
KEY TAKEAWAY: The programme demonstrates how targeted skills development transforms both professional trajectories and personal lives for Ethiopian women workers. Beyond career advancement, participants report enhanced self-confidence and communication abilities that extend into their personal development, creating measurable workplace improvements alongside individual transformation.
THE NETWORK: Preparations are under way to launch a Women Leaders Network in Hawassa and Addis Ababa following the programme's demonstrated success across multiple cohorts. The network will connect graduates from Hawassa and Bole Lemi Industrial Parks to foster mentorship, peer learning, elevate visibility of women leaders, and promote collaboration across factories.
- The network creates a dynamic platform to support women's career advancement and leadership growth.
- Better Work Ethiopia programme concluded in May 2025 after promoting better jobs and equitable workplaces.
- The fifth round of training is currently under way with network preparations advancing simultaneously.
STRATEGIC SUBTEXT: The programme builds factory-level coaching capacity by training mentors, often senior supervisors and HR professionals, who provide ongoing guidance and foster inclusive leadership culture. This approach creates sustainable development systems within participating factories rather than relying solely on external training interventions.
- Participating factories have seen improved line efficiency, higher product quality, and reduced absenteeism following programme implementation.
- The initiative launched as a flagship component of the ILO/IFC Better Work Ethiopia programme.
- Mentor training includes supervisory skills development and workplace coaching certification for ongoing participant support.
WIDER LENS: The programme's expansion demonstrates adaptability across Ethiopia's broader industrial development context. The Ministry of Industry partnership enables rollout of similar Women Leadership Development Programmes across multiple sectors, with recent extension into horticulture highlighting the model's relevance beyond textile manufacturing for Ethiopia's industrial transformation.
