Horn News Hub | August 14, 2026
Efforts to economically empower young women engaged in unpaid domestic and care work, and to help them enter the labor market, need to be strengthened and continued, it was stated.
This was noted at a graduation ceremony for trainees who completed a vocational training program conducted by Oxfam Ethiopia in partnership with Ethiopian Youth for Peace and Development (EYPD) and the Lemi Kura Sub-city Women and Children’s Affairs Office.
Speaking at the graduation event, Abiy Hailemeskel, Director General of the Youth Sector at the Ministry of Women and Social Affairs, said that although most women are engaged in unpaid domestic work and informal, low-paying jobs, their contribution to their families and to the country is significant. He noted that the ministry is working to establish systems and labor standards that would provide legal protection, social security, and fair working conditions for domestic workers.
Nuria Jemal, head of the Women’s Participation and Benefit Group at Lemi Kura Sub-city, said that many young women have spent years living in others’ homes, expending their labor and time without pay. She noted that the project has brought a positive change to the lives of these women and stressed that the program should be expanded and continued.
The young women who graduated from this skills development program, part of the WE-Care project, received training in fashion design, tailoring, and hairdressing, which is expected to open significant opportunities for them to start their own businesses and build self-confidence.
According to the report, Oxfam Ethiopia is implementing the WE-Care project not only in Ethiopia but also in other African countries including Kenya, Uganda, Zimbabwe, and Nigeria.
