Latest news with #WorkplaceEquality
Yahoo
4 days ago
- Business
- Yahoo
Ethiopia's garment sector sees 70% surge in women leaders
The Women Leadership Development Programme (WLDP), an initiative of Better Work, equips these workers with essential skills and mentorship. Better Work is a collaboration between the UN's International Labour Organization (ILO) and International Finance Corporation (IFC). The programme enables them to secure leadership roles and fostering a shift towards greater workplace equality in the industry. Moreover, it has also benefited senior supervisors, with ten out of 178 mentors achieving promotions to middle-level leadership. Initiated in 2021, the WLDP employs a multifaceted training approach that includes classroom instruction, practical exercises, and consistent mentorship. The training has equipped women workers with essential skills such as decision-making, conflict resolution, communication, influencing, problem-solving, and planning. Factories participating in the programme have observed enhancements in line efficiency and product quality, coupled with a decrease in absenteeism, Better Work stated. Azeb Abraham, an industrial engineering executive at JP Garment, said: 'Before the training, I struggled with communication and lacked self-confidence. After completing the ILO's Leadership and Technical Skills training, I now take the lead, communicate clearly, and lead my team with confidence.' The WLDP concluded in May 2025 as a flagship element of the ILO's Better Work programme aimed at fostering better employment conditions and more equitable workplaces within Ethiopia's industrial parks. The initiative also included factory-level coaching and mentorship by preparing mentors, often senior supervisors and HR professionals. Building upon these achievements, plans are underway to establish a Women Leaders Network in the cities of Hawassa and Addis Ababa. This network will unite WLDP graduates from the Hawassa and Bole Lemi Industrial Parks to facilitate mentorship, enhance visibility for women leaders, promote inter-factory collaboration, and support women's career progression and leadership development. The WLDP is also expanding into horticulture and is partnering with Ethiopia's Ministry of Industry to implement similar leadership development programmes in eight additional enterprises, seven of which are owned by women. ILO Better Work Ethiopia team leader Tigist Fisseha said: 'The impact of the WLDP is both measurable and deeply personal. We are not only increasing productivity on the factory floor, but helping women unlock their full leadership potential —transforming lives, workplaces, and communities.' Training is currently underway for the fifth round of the programme. "Ethiopia's garment sector sees 70% surge in women leaders" was originally created and published by Just Style, a GlobalData owned brand. The information on this site has been included in good faith for general informational purposes only. It is not intended to amount to advice on which you should rely, and we give no representation, warranty or guarantee, whether express or implied as to its accuracy or completeness. You must obtain professional or specialist advice before taking, or refraining from, any action on the basis of the content on our site. Error in retrieving data Sign in to access your portfolio Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data
BBC News
17-07-2025
- Business
- BBC News
Equal pay claim could cost Bradford Council millions, says union
Equal pay claims involving hundreds of council staff could end up costing a cash-strapped local authority "millions of pounds", a union has Union said staff at Bradford Council had been in touch about claims the authority was reportedly paying staff in mainly male departments more than staff in mainly female departments. The union accused the council of "burying their heads in the sand" and said if the complainants were successful, their pay claims could be backdated for up to six years. A Bradford Council spokesperson said it was in discussions with the union and staff. Lou Foster-Wilson, GMB Organiser, called the situation "shameful" and said that members were angry at being "short-changed". She also said hundreds of claims were "piling hundreds more to follow". "The longer it takes to settle these claims the bigger the bill Bradford Council will have to pick up," Ms Foster-Wilson added. The dispute relates to claims staff in female-dominated roles, such as teaching assistants, have historically been underpaid in relation to those in male-dominated positions. 'Right thing' According to the Local Democracy Reporting Service, a council spokesperson said: "People are at the heart of what we do in Bradford, and our commitment to equality and inclusion is a big part of that. "We have well established procedures for discussing many matters with the trade unions and we continue in discussion with them to understand any issues their members may have."Ms Foster-Wilson added: "I urge the council to do the right thing by our members and its workforce and get round the negotiating table, so we can sort out a settlement for our members as soon as possible."In 2024 Birmingham City Council agreed to pay 6,000 of its workers a settlement after an unequal pay row. It was said to be one of the key factors in the authority declaring effective bankruptcy the year before when it said it was facing a bill of £760m to settle the claims. Listen to highlights from West Yorkshire on BBC Sounds, catch up with the latest episode of Look North.
