EWDO Launches Advocacy Campaign for Women’s Economic Empowerment

By: Goshu Melisew

The Ethiopian Women’s Development Organization (EWDO) has launched an advocacy campaign to strengthen women’s economic empowerment and ensure their priorities are reflected in Ethiopia’s next national financial inclusion strategy.

The initiative, “Advocacy to Advance Women’s Economic Justice through Collective Action in Ethiopia,” was launched in collaboration with Urgent Action Fund-Africa (UAF-Africa).

The campaign comes as the National Bank of Ethiopia (NBE) develops the National Financial Inclusion Strategy III (NFIS III), with EWDO seeking greater attention to the financial challenges facing women entrepreneurs and women-led businesses.

The EWDO Executive Director Huluaggersh Tazez said the initiative is intended to strengthen collective efforts to address barriers limiting women’s economic participation and ensure their needs and priorities are reflected in the country’s financial inclusion agenda..

The organization said it will work with government institutions, financial institutions, business associations, women entrepreneurs and women’s rights organizations to generate evidence and advocate for policies that enable women’s access to finance and economic opportunities.

The launch brought together representatives from the Ministry of Women and Social Affairs, Addis Ababa Women, Children and Social Affairs Bureau, NBE, Commercial Bank of Ethiopia, Ministry of Trade, Ethiopian Women Traders Association, Addis Ababa Women Traders Association and other stakeholders.

Presenting the project, EWDO Program Advisor Mussie Yasin said the initiative seeks to bring women’s voices into policymaking and promote a financial system that better serves women entrepreneurs.

EWDO says the campaign will use evidence-based advocacy, collective action and stakeholder engagement to influence the NFIS III process.

NBE’s NEWFin Program Lead Tsion Girma highlighted the government’s efforts to expand women’s access to finance and stressed the importance of continued collaboration to advance financial inclusion.

According to EWDO, the campaign seeks to break financial barriers and unlock opportunities for women entrepreneurs.