Women-led Climate Action Transforms Communities and Secures Brighter Futures for Ethiopia’s Children

(Addis Ababa, 3 December 2025) World Vision Ethiopia is celebrating a wave of powerful results driven by women through the RESILIENT-WE project, highlighting how women’s leadership is restoring environments, strengthening household economies, and improving the well-being of children across Hararghe in Ethiopia. These achievements were showcased at a high-level National Learning Forum at the Hilton Hotel, Addis Ababa, bringing together senior government officials, development partners, civil society leaders, and media representatives.

Since its launch in April 2022, RESILIENT-WE has shown how far-reaching change becomes when women lead restoration efforts. More than 8,600 hectares of degraded land have been rehabilitated through community action guided by women. This has reduced soil erosion, strengthened water security, and created healthier environments where children can grow, learn, and thrive. The project has also supported the planting of over 7.3 million seedlings with an impressive survival rate of 81%, building greener landscapes that will protect communities for generations.

These gains in restoration have fuelled new livelihood opportunities, many of them pioneered or managed by women. Solar-powered irrigation now supports 315 hectares of farmland, making year-round cultivation possible. Families who once struggled with chronic food shortages are now harvesting diverse, nutrient-rich crops. Mothers report being able to provide more consistent and healthy meals, improving children’s nutrition and overall well-being.

Women have also been at the centre of financial transformation. Through 736 Savings for Transformation groups, more than 15,000 members, the vast majority women, are gaining access to financial services for the first time. Household financial inclusion has risen from 10.4% to 34.9%, giving women the power to invest in their families’ needs, pay school fees, and cover healthcare costs. The impact on children’s education and health has been immediate and measurable.

The project has also ushered in a profound shift in gender norms and local leadership. Women’s representation in community decision-making spaces has increased from 1% to 21.2%, ensuring that the priorities of families, and especially children, are reflected in local governance. Tens of thousands of community members have engaged with messages promoting gender equality, shared household decision-making, and child-centred development.

“The achievements in Hararghe show that when women lead, children’s lives change for the better,” said Karmen Till, National Director of World Vision Ethiopia. “Women’s leadership has driven environmental restoration, strengthened livelihoods, and opened doors that were once closed.”

At the National Learning Forum, World Vision expressed its sincere gratitude to Global Affairs Canada for its investment in women and children, and thanked the Government of Ethiopia, the community it serves, and civil society partners whose commitment has powered the achievements of RESILIENT WE.

The success in Hararghe offers a blueprint for wider change, and World Vision Ethiopia calls on partners and stakeholders to work with us in replicating and expanding the RESILIENT WE model across Ethiopia. By restoring landscapes, strengthening livelihoods, and breaking barriers for women, World Vision Ethiopia is looking to scale up this impact and help build communities where every child has the chance to grow up healthy, educated, and hopeful. 

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World Vision is a Christian humanitarian organisation dedicated to working with children, families, and their communities to reach their full potential by tackling the root causes of poverty and injustice. World Vision serves all people, regardless of religion, race, ethnicity, or gender.