Urban Productive Safety Net and Jobs Project Enables Economic Inclusion for Women

Within the extensive grounds of the General Wingate Technical and Vocational Education and Training center, a group, mostly women and girls, enthusiastically engage in crafting intricate handicrafts using locally sourced reed (guasa) and jute fiber (kacha). Guided by their instructors, they dedicate three hours a day, , five days a week, to honing their skills.

As a single mother without regular income, Tigist Lema had been unable to support her 6-year-old daughter and aging mother until she registered for the Urban Productive Safety Net and Job Project‘s (UPSNJP) public works program, through which she has now gained short term employment.

Although earning a monthly income from the public works program provided some relief, Tigist still hoped to secure more stable employment. She was delighted when she learned about additional UPSNJP’s provision of business development assistance to public works beneficiaries.

Transforming Urban Livelihoods Through UPSNJP

Supported by the World Bank, the UPSNJP is implemented across 88 Ethiopian cities and provides 1.7 million people with a wide variety of interventions. These range from facilitating jobs and employment to enabling the economic and social inclusion of the urban poor, including the destitute and internally displaced. A flagship apprenticeship program under the safety net has so far linked more than 60,000 youth—mainly school dropouts—to wage-paying jobs within private firms.

For the public works program, beneficiaries are selected through a combination of community targeting and Poverty Means Testing. This assesses the eligibility of households by evaluating demographic, socioeconomic, dwelling characteristics, and asset information to determine their economic status. The majority of beneficiaries are women with low levels of education and limited prospects in the formal job market. The program provides them temporary employment for about 36 months. During this period, beneficiaries receive financial literacy, business skills, and life skills training and coaching for about 22 two-hour sessions on a biweekly basis. This is complemented by additional technical skills training tailored to their business plan. Upon completion, they receive a onetime grant as startup capital and ongoing coaching to ensure sustainability for their new venture.

Enabling Personal Growth Through Skills Training

Tigist’s journey exemplifies the impact of UPSNJP. With her newfound skills and a startup grant, she is now exploring several business ideas, including creating handcrafted decorations for weddings and homes.

“I am now confident to start my own small business using my new skills and the business grant I received from the project. I can utilize the designs I've learned from the training to create my own unique pieces, or I can seek employment with Elbee Business, which hires people with my skillset."

Like Tigist, thousands of participants are leveraging UPSNJP's resources to create sustainable livelihoods. Tigist is among the 152,077 public works beneficiaries who have accessed the program’s business development support. Like many other participants, she is motivated and inspired to create a better and more secure future. Her story mirrors those of many women in the program.

Among the many beneficiaries experiencing these transformative changes is Hirut Reta, whose story illustrates the program's emphasis on fostering economic resilience. Hirut is a mother of two and a second-year beneficiary of the UPSNJP. Before joining the project, Hirut had basic sewing skills, but she never imagined that these skills could serve as the foundation for a business.

Through the UPSNJP’s financial literacy and business development coaching, Hirut gained the confidence to start her glove-making business. However, acquiring starting capital was a challenge. To purchase her first sewing machine, Hirut decided to save a portion of her public works earnings using a traditional savings method called ‘equb’—a community-based saving system where members pool their money and rotate access to the funds.

As her business started to grow, Hirut was able to hire three people to assist with production. More recently, UPSNJP assisted Hirut in developing an expansion business plan, and she is set to receive a project grant at the end of her second year in the program.

Hirut’s success demonstrates how UPSNJP empowers women through training, financial literacy, and startup grants. Beyond individual stories, the program fosters broader economic empowerment for women, helping to transform the lives of those in disadvantaged communities. Initiatives like UPSNJP provide women like Tigist and Hirut the skills and resources to build sustainable businesses, securing brighter futures for themselves and their communities.