Support for growth-oriented women entrepreneurs in Ethiopia

The African Development Bank’s (AfDB) Addis Ababa Forum in June 2003 focused on the role of women entrepreneurs in private sector development, poverty reduction, and sustainable growth and development. It provided an opportunity for the AfDB and the International Labour Office (ILO) to join forces using their complementary expertise in support of women-owned businesses in Tanzania, Ethiopia and Zambia. This report is based on the country assessment for Ethiopia, where the ILO has been researching and supporting women’s entrepreneurship. Examining such issues as the economic context, micro-finance, training, support as well as women entrepreneurs’ associations and capacity-building in the country, the report indicates the next steps the AfDB and the ILO can take to support growth-oriented women entrepreneurs. It also looks at how future activities will contribute to the poverty reduction strategies of the Ethiopian Government, as well as the Plan of Action from the Africa Union’s Extraordinary Summit on Pover