UN Women and and partners are contributing to the economic empowerment of vulnerable women in Ethiopia

“When the local government called unemployed youth to engage in self-employment activities, my husband and I enthusiastically registered with a desire to change our lives. Through that, 1000 m² /0.1 hectare of land was leased to us, but we neither had the financial resources to clean up the land nor the basic skills to start gardening for income generation.”

Seeing her need, a family friend directed Shume to one of UN Women’s partners in Ethiopia, the Organization for Women in Self Employment (WISE) and things started to change. “First, I took part in a ten-day training on life skill and basic business skills that I practically apply in managing the land and household duties collaboratively with my husband. I then became a member of the cooperative and qualified to borrow 3,000 birr (55 USD). Adding the 1,500 birr given to me as allowance during the training, we managed to clean up the land, purchase basic tools, vegetable seeds and other inputs for planting, my husband and I were hardly seen out of the farmstead, taking care of it with a passion to see the result.” Shume added.

When the cooperative called for a business plan competition for cash awards, Shume applied on expansion of the vegetable plantation and won first place; with 40,000 birr (850 USD). This helped them to continue providing inputs for better management of the land including a power generator for irrigation, which enabled them to access water from the nearby stream.

“We are now at the beginning of harvesting and selling stage. In the last two weeks alone, we sold vegetables worth over 6,000 birr. When we fully start to supply retailers, this will keep growing. Our aim is to expand as the land has the potential for beehive keeping and establishment of a recreational facility next to the water stream. Because it is close to the main road, we believe it will attract the public.” Shume concluded.

Emebet Gashaw, an internally displaced mother of two in Legetafo is another woman reached by the ISEE Project. Emebet was in Jijiga, Somali region preparing to take matriculation exam in 2018 when, a conflict erupted in the region. She had to leave the city with other displaced people.

After moving to internally displaced settlement in Legetafo, Emebet started selling Injera, the staple diet in the country, using cash provided by the government. As a new site, demand was very high, and she was succeeding until she fell ill which made her to take a break. “By the time I felt better, many women have already started to sell Injera and I switched to keeping chicken for eggs. While I was using some of the money I saved from selling the eggs, I heard about the support being given by Women in Self Employment (WISE) and registered.

After registering at WISE, Emebet first took a ten-day training including on basic business and life skills, followed by a 3,000-birr (55 USD) loan as well as a cash award of 30,000-birr (545 USD) for the business plan she presented, applying the skill attained. She opened a retail shop with consumers’ goods. Using the skill gained, she also diversified the business by reviving the chicken keeping and aiming to add charcoal trade so as not to take the risk of depending on one, which she thinks has contributed to her failures in the past.

Emebet underlined that beyond the financial service, the training has benefited her more. “In the past business activities I tried, money wasn’t a big challenge as my parents had the capacity to provide. I think one of the reasons for failing was a lack of skill to manage. The training on life skills was even more beneficial; after all, whatever we do is to properly live and if we do not have the skill to better live in whatever circumstances, holding a university degree alone may not always bring success.”