International Women’s Day celebrated

Enterprises sharing their experiences of implementing Women Leadersjip Development Programme
ILO Siraye organized events to mark the International Women’s Day 2024 focusing on promoting women to leadership and decision-making positions thereby calling for more investment to build their technical and leadership skills.

The first event, which was organized in collaboration with the Ministry of Industry and its affiliated organizations was held in Addis Ababa on March 8, 2024. During the event, the successes and achievements of prominent historical figures such as women leaders, researchers, intellectuals, artists and women business owners were chronicled to motivate current women and youth. The findings of two innovative research conducted by female engineers working in the Manufacturing Industry Development Institute of the Ministry of Industry were also presented to showcase the potential for effective participation of women in what is often known as ‘hard science’. In addition to engineering, the researches have significant contribution to environmental protection, industrial waste management and sustainable energy generation.

Women enterprise owners and managers, who were engaged in ILO Siraye’s flagship intervention “Women Leadership Development Programme” shared their journey through a panel discussion. One of the participants summed up her experience saying:

“The experience with the WLDP programme was an eye opener for me. Now, I have the knowledge and skills to support enterprises engage in activities that bring tangible results on gender equality”.
The event was also graced by some of our development partners like the Swedish International Development Cooperation (SIDA). Speaking at event, SIDA Deputy Head Mr. Stefan Roos said, "Sweden prioritizes job creation and decent work for Women. Our support to International Labour Organization with an initial focus on the garment and textile industries, has developed a comprehensive and coordinated programme to promote Decent Work and Inclusive Industrialization in Ethiopia."

"This ensures, young women entering the labour market understand their rights & are protected in their workspace. We need to invest in making labour markets work for women. For many young women from rural areas, industrial parks are their first contact with the market”, he added.

The second event was held in Hawassa Industrial Park. ONEILO Siraye programme collaborated with stakeholders on the ground including Sidama Bureau of Labour and Skills, Industrial Park Development Cooperation (IPDC) Hawassa Branch office, the Confederation of Ethiopian Trade Unions (CETU), Hawassa Industrial Park Investors’ Association (HIP IA) to organize the event. the event brought together over 250 participants from ILO social partners and field level stakeholders. However, the majority of whom are female factory workers from the park and factory management. During the event, Ambassador Mulu Solomon, delivered a speech which serves as a call to action from women themselves to take the responsibility of motivate and empower themselves. The Ambassador stressed that external support does little by way of empowering oneself, but own initiative and determination, and the confidence and belief in one’s own capacities is the key to thrive and succeed in this challenging world. Participants of ONEILO’s WLDP who progressed in their career also shared their experience. During the panel discussion, a female worker from one of the factories reflected:

“I used to have very low self-confidence. Now, I have overcome that challenge and completely shifted to the “I Can” mindset. This is because of the training I received through ILO and the practical application of the knowledge and skills from this training. The follow up and support from the team also helped me to stay focused.”

At the closing of the event, male and female leaders who exhibited exceptional leadership qualities and who foster a culture of mutual respect and excellence were awarded a certificate of recognition. Moreover, representatives from ILO tripartite partners from Government, Workers and Employers organizations reflected on the need to strengthen coordination and collaboration among key actors to increase investment towards concrete actions to eliminate the glass-ceiling and bring more women to leadership positions as well as ensure decent working conditions for all.

Every year on March 8, the world celebrates the International Women’s Day, recognizing their achievements and pushing the agenda of Gender Equality forward as persistent challenges still remain. The UN observes the day under the theme “Invest in Women, Accelerate Progress”. ILO’s Director-General, Mr. Gilbert F. Houngbo, in his address on March 8 said “Gender Equality matters for all of us. Without it, there is no social justice”. And for the first time in ILO’s history, all the regional directors are women.