Enterprise Partners utilises a Women’s Economic Empowerment framework as a cross-cutting measure throughout our work. Within our programmes, we tackle issues such as breaking down the barriers hindering a woman’s ability to access economic resources as agricultural inputs, training, market information, skills, etc. or receive loans to start her own business. Our interventions also tackle the lack of women’s support services in factories that would allow a greater amount of women to become more competitive, remain at work and grow to their full potential.  

At our core, we define women’s economic empowerment as a process that increases women’s access to economic resources such as skills, education, and infrastructure, financial services, income and assets fairly and equally; as well as allowing control over these resources to act and make decisions. We believe in fostering community partnerships with individuals, businesses, women organisation groups and governments. We are also proud to play a growing role in the community ensuring that are women’s empowerment agendas are channelled across existing initiatives as well as new initiatives created to bring about transformative changes to the community.

EP has a firm belief that AWiB is important in its contribution toward empowering and developing excellence among Ethiopian women in the country and abroad. As corporate members, Women employees in EP have access to AWiB activities that will support their professional and personal development. Further, as part of our work is to ensure that women have the opportunity to develop their professional skills and financial capability, we were a proud sponsor of the award fund for the Women of Excellence titleholder.

The Association for Women in Boldness Ethiopia (AWiB), hosted the seventh annual women of excellence award dinner on Sunday, October 28th 2018.  The AWiB, 2018 Women of Excellence title holder is Kibra Kebede, founder and director of the Parkinson’s Patients Support Organization (PPSO).  It was a great privilege to have Enterprise Partners Managing Director, Nebil Kellow, sitting on the panel of impartial judges that selected this year’s Women of Excellence titleholder.

PPSO provides awareness raising and medical support to Parkinson’s patients, who are largely poor and unemployed. Further, Kibra is a staunch advocate of support services to Parkinson’s patients, including successfully advocating changing regulations for the types of painkillers available for Parkinson’s patients. PPSO is only one of four organizations working on Parkinson’s in Africa. She will be donating her award to her organization, who will continue to work on awareness raising and care of Parkinson’s patients in Ethiopia.

“Using their mind, women can do anything, even sick or disabled. Nothing is impossible. I was told by the charity office people that I could not do this but I never presented myself as a victim. All I show is passion and commitment to my vision.”
Kibra Kebede, Founder and Director of the Parkinson’s Patients Support Organization (PPSO), Ethiopia.