UN Women’s integrated economic empowerment initiative enhances women’s economic growth and well-being

Abeba Bunti, 39, lives in Legetafo town, in the outskirts of Addis Ababa. Raised by a single mother who struggled to just make ends meet, Abeba used to help in labor-intensive domestic work after school. When she reached 9th grade, she dropped out of school and got married since the household’s meager income wasn’t enough for her and two siblings. “I was a homemaker, as a driver, my husband’s income wasn’t sufficient. Having our first child was a blessing but added a burden to our economic status. Despite trying to do some work outside home as house helper and a waitress, life was difficult for me for over twenty years.” She said.

As one of the 800 women reached out by a UN Women supported project, “Integrated and Sustainable Economic Empowerment Initiative (ISEEI), Abeba considered the support provided by the project instrumental for opening a time and labour-saving business mainly catering for women in her community who cannot afford to buy food processors.

 “After I registered under the project two years ago, I took a ten-day training on basic business and life skills. For cash award, I submitted a business plan on provision of labor and time saving food processing service in my village where over 300 households do not have the access to such service. Through my business plan, I was awarded 25,000birr (500USD equivalent by then). I mobilized the remaining 60,000birr (1,200USD) through saving and credit association which I invested by purchasing the machine for 85,000birr (1,700USD). The 20,000 (400USD) loan provided through the project enabled me to cover related costs.” Abeba explained.

 “Before the project I was totally dependent on my husband except the small amount cooking butter trading with little income. Today, I have 300,000birr (2,700USD) capital, every month I save 2000 (18USD) through Equb. From the total 20,000birr (400USD) loan I borrowed, I am remaining with 6,000birr(54USD) to pay back.” Abeba said.

Self-starter woman’s potential for economic growth unlocked

Fayine Geleta, 38 originally from Welega Zone, is another woman reached by ISEEI project. She moved to Legetafo town, over 300km away from Welega with her extended family in search of a better life. Her desire to engage in a business and to change her life for a better began while she was still in school. She used to sell fruits in secrecy so that her family does not know. To give more time to her small business, she dropped out of school, “ I was always engaged in some form of trade. After I got married and gave birth, I was selling spices, grains, cooking butter and honey contributing to the family’s cost of living. When my husband got sick, I became the bread winner. Despite spending more time and energy on my tradings to fully support the family, the income has never been enough to cover the expenses.”

Fayine notes that through the project she learns how to manage finance. “Before the project’s support, I did not know how to differentiate my costs from the profit. It is also after the training that I started to save my money in a bank.” She said. She also saved enough to borrow 23,000birr(443USD). This increased her butter and grains trading capacity from 10kg-15kg per season, to over 100kg. “Under the business plan competition on poultry farming, I won 30,000birr(578USD) and first I started to keep chickens for eggs. Saving the income from it, I expanded to keep chickens for meat. Part of the income enabled me to purchase seven sheep to fatten. I aim to sell the sheep and earn more income that will contribute to my long-term plan of purchasing milking cows and to process my own butter for sale.” 

Fayine added   the project was vital in helping her build a successful business, “Before the project, my capital didn’t rise beyond 6000birr(116USD). Today it is around 300,000(4815USD). The support from the project is a turning point in mine and my family’s livelihoods. My only wish is if I had joined it earlier as I can image how much more successful my efforts could have been.”

On the impact of the project, Ms. Meseret Berhanu chairwoman of the women and children affairs office in Legetafo said that the project, which has so far reached over 800 women directly and further provided relevant trainings to more than 4000 women, has been instrumental in to improving the lives of women with low-income, their families and communities.

Ms. Yiftusira Mulugeta, leader of women’s Saving and Credit Cooperatives (SACCOs), where women are organized to access services by the project, reiterates Ms Meseret’s testimony saying, “The women are not only meeting theirs and their families’ immediate basic needs in better ways, being members of Saving and Credit Cooperatives (SACCOs), their financial resource is sustained with the skills to manage it.”

UN Women’s Integrated and Sustainable Economic Empowerment Initiative (ISEEI) Project, implemented in partnership with Women in Self Employment (WISE), with funding from the Governments of the Netherlands, Norway, and Sweden as part of the Strategic Note (2021-25) , facilitates provision of business skill development initiatives and access to finance to enable women generate business ideas and opportunities in their locality while equipping them with life and leadership skills for problem-solving, self-esteem, and teamwork.