Workplace Daycare centers ensure mothers enter the workforce and continue working

Addis Ababa, Ethiopia (ILO News) - Meseret Tamru, a mother of two had to quit her job to take care of her kids as she does not have anyone to assist her with that responsibility. Thanks to the opening of the ILO and Norwegian government supported daycare centre at Ethio-Impact garment, she is fully back to her trimming job at the factory.

“The Daycare Center is convenient for my baby while it also gave me the chance to get back to work in the factory,” Meseret attests.

The International Labour Organization in partnership with the Ethiopian Ministry of Industry and Partnership for Change inaugurated workplace day care centers in two textile and garment factories in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia.

© @ILO, Homa M. Ejeta

© @ILO, Homa M. Ejeta

These two facilities are established in Yirgalem Addis Textile Factory PLC and Ethio-Impact Manufacturing PLC with the financial support from the Norwegian Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

The daycare centers have created a conducive working environment with, safe, stimulating, and child-friendly facilities that accommodate the needs of working mothers with infant children and toddlers in the textile and garment factories.

Yirged Aniley, who is working at the Ethio-Impact garment factory was staying at home and unpaid caregiver of her own baby. But now, with the opening of the Daycare center, she is working as a caregiver worker while taking care of her own baby as well at the center.

“I had a job before I gave birth to my child, I stopped working since there was no one taking care of my child. I am glad that this center is opened, because I can closely monitor my kid here and do my job. I am very happy to be back to work. after the last three years, because the center is opened, I was able to get back to work. I am happy for this opportunity.

According to Marshet Tsehay, who is the owner of Ethio-Impact garment factory, “employee turnover is a big challenge in the garment sector. It is mainly caused by pregnancy and birth related inconveniences. After giving birth, female employees will be forced to quit their jobs to take good care of their kids. It is also not realistic for them to get childcare workers for their kids. Thus, they must stay at home to take care of their kids.”

Since most of factories do not have such facilities for working parents, where kids can stay in a workplace daycare center. This affects the work that the factories are doing.

“Opening the Daycare center has proved to be very important not only for the kids and the working mothers, but the factory as well,” reckons Marshet.

She added, “I think this should be replicated in other factories too. I would like to thank the ILO, Ministry of Industry and other partners for this project. It is a relief for me as well. because now my employees can work while their kids are safe in the Daycare center. So we’re grateful for this.”

The owner of Yirgalem Addis textile, Ms Yirgalem Assefa said, “ I have been trying to open a daycare for a long time but I couldn't achieve it because I didn't have the necessary skills. For the past five years, I have been pushing the administration to open a workplace daycare for my employees. During these times, I lost many of my qualified female employees because they were forced to leave their jobs just because there was no one to take care of their kids. In the midst of my problems, I was very happy to be selected for this project”.

The ILO’s “Promoting Workers' Rights and Gender Equality at Work in Africa project in collaboration with Partnership for change (PfC), Ministry of Industry and social partners has supported textile and garment factories with the establishment of daycare facilities, capacity building initiatives, and awareness-raising efforts on maternity protection, care policies and Sexual Reproductive and Health Rights (SRHR) for the youth and women workers in the factories.