Empowering Women in Hawassa: From Gender Training to Workplace Transformation

In the lakeside town of Hawassa, Ethiopia, the Ogani & Gemeto medicinal plants nursery, a member of the Protecting Lake Hawassa partnership, is flourishing following a gender training that reshaped mindsets and promoted equality. The partnership aims to reduce environmental and social risks stemming from the threats affecting Lake Hawassa and thus promoting a Just Transition.

In Ethiopia, women and marginalised groups continue to face systemic obstacles in fully participating in decision-making processes and benefitting from development interventions. Therefore, NatuReS delivered a targeted training to 34 stakeholders of the partnership in December 2024. It equipped them with the necessary knowledge and skills to integrate gender equality and social inclusion effectively into their institutions and activities.

Meet one of the participants: Mrs Rahel Sisay from Hawassa city administration and biodiversity team leader at the nursery. For years, the nursery staff was predominantly male, with little attention paid to gender diversity. Task completion was the priority, and the gender of workers seemed irrelevant. However, the training prompted Mrs Sisay and her team to reassess the contributions of their female staff.

“Since we’ve increased the number of female employees, the quality of our seedling production has significantly improved”

Mrs Sisay

What they discovered was enlightening. The women in the nursery were not only competent but proved to be the more efficient workers. This revelation led Mrs Sisay to request management to give pay rises to the women and hire more female staff. Since then, the nursery has welcomed five new female employees, bringing the total to thirteen women and five men. This shift has had a profound impact on the nursery’s operations.

The training empowered Mrs Sisay to make decisions that support women in the workplace and encouraged her to speak up for gender equality. This newfound confidence and advocacy have transformed the nursery into a more inclusive and productive environment. After all, the nursery is not just a job for the female workers – it is their livelihood. The training has helped them gain recognition and fair treatment, ensuring that their contributions are valued and rewarded.

This success story from Hawassa illustrates the importance of the gender training supported by NatuReS. Mrs Rahel Sisay’s story is a testament to how empowering women can lead to better business outcomes and create a more equitable workplace – strengthening women’s opportunities for societal participation and contributing to stronger, more resilient communities.