In a visit organized to the Bole Lemi Industry Park, one of the industry parks across Ethiopia set up in recent years, the Regional Director visited a UNFPA supported integrated SRH-GBV response intervention targeting young employees at the industry park, the majority of whom are young women.

In the visit which involved senior officials from the Ministry of Women and Social Affairs, the Ministry of Health, the Industry Park Development Corporation and DSW (UNFPA’s partner in the intervention), reflections were made on the risks and vulnerabilities of workers of industry parks and the contributions of integrated programmes in mitigating the risks.

It was stressed during the visit that the response in the industry parks needs to be supported by policy level interventions to address issues such as labour rights, minimum wage and social protection schemes, including through the involvement of the hiring companies with Corporate Social responsibility in mind.

The importance of consolidating evidences on the root and immediate causes, response mechanisms and also good practices of the intervention in the industry parks was also highlighted during the visit to systematically design programmes and effectively advocate for development and implementation of policy and strategic frameworks.

More than 23 thousand young people are working at the Bole Lemi Industry Park, 96 percent of whom are young women. The Regional Director also got the chance to see the peer group discussion component of the intervention at the industry park.