The newly inaugurated childcare facility at Kaliti Food Share Company in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia.

Promoting care at work

ILO and partners inaugurate model workplace childcare facility in Ethiopia

The ILO inaugurates a model workplace childcare facility at CEREALIA in Addis Ababa, promoting gender equality, decent work, and productivity in Ethiopia.

29 October 2025

Addis Ababa, Ethiopia (ILO News) – The International Labour Organization (ILO) has inaugurated a new on-site workplace childcare facility at the Kaliti Food Share Company (CEREALIA) in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, on 28 October 2025, on the eve of the UN International Day of Care and Support.

The initiative, established under the ILO’s ProAgro Ethiopia and Promoting Workers’ Rights and Gender Equality at Work in Africa – Phase II projects, aims to demonstrate how care-responsive workplaces can advance gender equality, enhance enterprise productivity, and promote decent work in Ethiopia’s agro-processing sector.

Developed through a strong public–private partnership between the ILO, the Ministry of Industry, CEREALIA, and Partnership for Change (PfC), the facility is supported by the German Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ) and the Norwegian Agency for Development Cooperation (NORAD).

Representatives from the ILO, line ministries and partners cutting ribbon for the launch of the daycare facility.

Speaking at the inauguration, Khumbula Ndaba, Country Director for the ILO Country Office for Ethiopia, Djibouti, Somalia, South Sudan, and Sudan, and Special Representative to the African Union (AU) and Economic Commission for Africa (ECA), urged the private sector to prioritize the well-being of its workforce, especially women.

“For working parents, especially mothers, care at work means reduced stress, the peace of mind that comes from knowing their children are safe and nurtured nearby, and a real chance to balance family responsibilities with professional ambitions,” said Ndaba.
“Today, we are not just opening a room with toys; we are activating a powerful engine for social justice and gender equality.”

Today, we are not just opening a room with toys; we are activating a powerful engine for social justice and gender equality.
Khumbula Ndaba, Country Director for the ILO Country Office for Ethiopia, Djibouti, Somalia, South Sudan, and Sudan

Khumbula Ndaba, County Director for ILO Addis Ababa, at the inaugural event.

Echoing this message, Dawit Moges, First Vice President of the Confederation of Ethiopian Employers Association (CEEA), highlighted that “care at work is not a cost, it is an investment in productivity.” He added, “When we care for the people who work for us, they care for the work that sustains us.”

Dawit Tamrat, CEO of CEREALIA, pledged maximum ownership of the facility and expressed interest in showcasing it as a model for replication in other industries across their supply chains. The facility’s implementation was supported by PfC, an NGO emphasizing the importance of access to quality childcare and early childhood care and education (ECCE) for advancing gender equality. Through this collaboration, PfC brings its expertise into the private sector.

Anthony Agyenta, Project Manager of ILO ProAgro Ethiopia, noted that the initiative addresses a critical need in Ethiopia’s agro-processing sector, where women make up nearly 65 percent of the workforce.

“Many women have had to accept part-time or temporary work due to the lack of accessible childcare,” he said.
“By providing a safe and nurturing environment for children, the new facility enables women to return to full-time work, reduces absenteeism, improves staff retention, and boosts overall productivity.”

This initiative reflects the ILO’s ongoing commitment to link care and gender equality with enterprise development. The CEREALIA childcare centre stands as a model of good practice, reinforcing the ILO’s support for integrating care-responsive workplace policies into enterprise operations and collective agreements.

About the projects

The ILO ProAgro Project, funded by the Special Initiative on Training and Job Creation of Germany’s Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ), aims to promote job creation, labour formalization, and enterprise development in Ethiopia’s agricultural and agro-processing sectors.

As part of its interventions, the project has been implementing the ILO Sustaining Competitive and Responsible Enterprises (SCORE) program in collaboration with its implementing partner, the Kaizen Excellence Center for the last two years. Through this initiative, 60 agro-processing companies, including CERALIA, have enhanced their productivity, workplace standardization, cooperation, and Occupational Safety and Health (OSH) practices. ProAgro Ethiopia and the Promoting Workers’ Rights and Gender Equality at Work in Africa – Phase II project jointly supported the establishment of the workplace childcare centre at CEREALIA.

The ILO project, Promoting Workers’ Rights and Gender Equality at Work in Africa-Phase II, funded by NORAD enhances workers' rights and gender equality in Ethiopia's garment, agriculture, and domestic work sectors. A key objective of the project is to enhance gender equality at work by building the capacities of ILO constituents to promote workers' rights, particularly for those with family responsibilities, through improved maternity protection, paternity and parental leave, and childcare solutions. The project also delivers awareness-raising sessions to strengthen understanding of Equality at Work initiatives at both local and national levels on relevant gender-related International Labour Standards.