60 Ethiopian Women Graduate from China-Supported Program

• Over 60 Ethiopian women entrepreneurs completed participants in Addis Ababa GFEEP
• The duration of the workshop was two weeks
• Training included topics such as strategic business thinking, digital literacy, new business models

In the capital of Ethiopia, over 60 Ethiopian women business owners were part of a GFEEP workshop (sponsored by China). This workshop provided two weeks of training in Strategic Business Thinking, Digital Literacy, Modern Business Models, and Foundational Entrepreneurial Skills.

According to Sun Mingxi, acting chargé d'affaires at the Chinese embassy in Ethiopia, the workshop is a realistic capacity-building initiative as part of the Forum on China–Africa Cooperation Beijing Action Plan 2025-2027 for gender-equal empowerment in Africa.

The workshop also shows the assistance from China to promote women's entrepreneurship, inclusive and sustainable development, and the long-term relationship between China and Africa through people-to-people exchanges.

Tsedeke Digafe, deputy secretary general at the Ethiopian Chamber of Commerce & Sectoral Associations stated: "The workshop represents both Ethiopia and China’s shared commitment to gender equality under the United Nations Sustainable Development Goal 5."

According to participant Mulu Kemal - an Ethiopian entrepreneur in the injera export business - the program has had a profound impact on her; she stated that the program provided her with skills necessary for managing her business, innovating within it, leading effectively, and developing systematic thinking capabilities.

Prior to participating in this program, Mulu's management style was intuitive and traditional, but now she has developed a structured, customer-focused, and growth-oriented approach to managing her business.

Deputy General Manager of CCECC Ethiopia, Wu Jiuyi, stated that the GFEEP has helped to create a better business environment, motivate local communities, and promote gender equality and economic inclusion as part of sustainable development.

At the graduation ceremony, 10 Ethiopian entrepreneurs signed MOUs (Memorandums of Understanding) with CCECC to create links between their respective markets and to showcase their product offerings.

The GFEEP is being implemented by Beijing Foreign Studies University and is specifically aimed at supporting women entrepreneurs from developing nations. The workshop was also conducted in cooperation with CCECC Ethiopia.