Ethiopia’s textile and garment sector has quietly become one of Africa’s most significant engines of female employment. In a country where roughly two in five people live below the national poverty line, economic opportunities remain limited for many women, particularly in rural communities. As global brands diversify supply chains and the Ethiopian government doubles down on export-oriented manufacturing, hundreds of thousands of women, most of them young migrants from rural communities, are entering the formal workforce for the first time. The story of Ethiopia’s textile industry women workforce is one of real progress, complex challenges and organizations working hard to make opportunity sustainable.

A Sector Built on Women’s Labor

Ethiopia ranks as the fifth fastest-growing garment-producing country in the world, and the textile sector employs mostly women. The success of Ethiopia’s textile industry women is not a coincidence. On average, around 62% of women working in Ethiopia’s manufacturing industry have migrated from rural regions to take up these jobs. For 89% of them, factory employment provides a steady income for the first time in their lives.

Many of these women come from communities where poverty and underemployment limit economic opportunities. Rural households often depend on subsistence agriculture, leaving families vulnerable to economic shocks and unstable incomes. Factory jobs provide a rare source of reliable income, allowing workers to support relatives, save money and gain financial independence.

The scale of this shift is visible at Ethiopia’s flagship industrial zone. The Hawassa Industrial Park, located about 280 miles south of Addis Ababa, is the largest textile and apparel industrial park in Africa. As of May 2023, 18 companies were operating in the park, employing 23,334 workers, with female workers accounting for 84% of that total.

Jobs That Open Doors

The World Bank’s Competitiveness and Job Creation Project in Ethiopia offers a concrete measure of impact. The project, which ran from 2014 to 2023, supported industrial parks at Bole Lemi II and Kilinto. It contributed to the creation of more than 19,000 jobs, with 66% benefiting women. The project also generated more than $180 million in sales and provided nearly 8,000 workers with soft and technical skills training, helping many women develop skills that extend beyond factory work.

For many women, factory work is a launchpad rather than a ceiling. Research conducted at the Hawassa Industrial Park found that some women used their factory earnings to leave and start their own businesses, such as hair salons and coffee shops, a pattern of upward mobility that extends the sector’s impact far beyond the factory floor.

Organizations Leading the Charge

Several organizations are working to deepen the gains of Ethiopia’s textile industry women’s employment boom. The International Trade Centre (ITC) partners with its local partner, the Center for Accelerated Women’s Economic Empowerment (CAWEE), to provide women weavers with capacity building, training and support to help them earn higher incomes through the ITC project “Supporting Women in the Textiles and Garments Sector” as part of the Women and Trade Programme.

Established in 2004 and licensed under the Ethiopian Ministry of Trade, CAWEE builds the capacity of women entrepreneurs through training, advisory services, product development, mentoring and market linkages with international institutions. Through its work, the organization has helped women-owned businesses gain access to markets and opportunities that were previously out of reach.

On the factory floor, the International Labour Organization’s (ILO) Siraye program and Better Work Ethiopia initiative are tackling the leadership gap directly. Nearly 80% of Ethiopia’s garment and textile industry employees are women, many employed in factory floor roles with limited opportunity for career growth. Recognizing this, the ILO launched a Women Leadership Development Program providing a three-month intensive training and mentorship program for female workers interested in advancing to senior roles.

Now in its fifth round of training, the program continues to demonstrate how targeted skills development, mentorship and inclusive practices can empower women and accelerate Ethiopia’s industrial transformation. By helping women build leadership skills and professional networks, the initiative is working to ensure that women are represented not only on factory floors but also in management positions.

Challenges

Progress is real but incomplete. While women make up more than 80% of textile workers, men remain in the clear majority at the management level. Wage inequality is also a persistent concern. Women in Ethiopia’s garment sector earn just two-thirds of the wages that men earn and hold only about a quarter of senior positions and a third of technical posts.

Organizations including Better Work Ethiopia, Solidaridad and the ILO are working with employers to promote more gender-inclusive workplaces through leadership development, mentorship and workplace reforms. However, significant barriers remain before women can achieve equal representation in leadership roles and equal pay for equal work.

Industry advocates are pushing the Ethiopian government to address the absence of a statutory minimum wage. A study published in 2023 highlighted the damaging effects of poor wage conditions, especially for female workers in industrial parks and small and medium-sized enterprises, underscoring the urgent need for wage protections to safeguard workers’ rights and welfare.

A Future Worth Fighting For

Despite the hurdles, the trajectory of Ethiopia’s textile industry women points toward meaningful change. Programs like the ILO’s Women Leadership Development Program and CAWEE’s entrepreneurship training are proving that access to jobs is only the beginning. When paired with skills development, mentorship and advocacy for fair wages, factory employment can become a genuine pathway out of poverty.

For the young women arriving in Hawassa and Addis Ababa with ambitions larger than the sewing machines in front of them, that pathway is already becoming real. As Ethiopia’s manufacturing sector continues to grow, ensuring that women can access leadership opportunities, fair wages and long-term economic mobility will be critical to sustaining that progress and extending its benefits to future generations.

– Nay Mohamad

Nay is based in Milan, Italy and focuses on Business and Good News for The Borgen Project.

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