In the heart of Ethiopia’s urban centres, a quiet revolution is taking root led by young women. Through the Grow Equal project’s market and livelihood assessment, SOS Children’s Villages in Ethiopia uncovered powerful insights into how green jobs and entrepreneurship can reshape lives and communities.
Young women in Jimma and Hawassa voiced a common dream: independence through income. Many identified agriculture, tailoring, and food processing as livelihood pathways. But more strikingly, there was growing interest in eco-friendly livelihoods like urban gardening, solar power maintenance, and waste recycling.
Did you know? Over 70% of young women surveyed expressed a desire to engage in income-generating activities, with green jobs emerging as a top aspiration.
Barriers to break
These ambitions come with hurdles: lack of seed funding, limited business networks, and persistent gender biases. The assessment revealed that while training opportunities exist, access to start-up capital and ongoing mentorship remains limited.
“If I had the tools, I would start a compost business tomorrow.”
- shared a participant from Jimma.
Pathways to progress
Our assessment report recommends establishing youth-focused green incubation hubs, access to microloans, and sustained mentorship. By bridging these gaps, we can transform interest into impact—creating not only jobs, but climate-conscious communities.
Every young woman who gains a sustainable income is also likely to uplift her family and reduce her community’s ecological footprint. Green is not just a colour, it's a future.
Read the full assessment report here: Market-and-Livelihood-Assessment-for-Grow-Equal-Project