The Korea International Cooperation Agency (KOICA) has pledged to strengthen the empowerment of Ethiopian women by cultivating their leadership capacity through knowledge, experience, and technology sharing.
KOICA Ethiopia Alumni Club organized its second Knowledge Sharing Seminar 2025 under the theme: "Cultivating Leadership Skills: Empowering Women" last Saturday. Some 151 civil servants drawn from the Ministry of Peace, Federal Civil Service Commission, Ethiopian Civil Service University, Ministry of Agriculture, Ministry of Industry, Addis Ababa Leadership Academy, and Yekatit 12 Hospital Medical College took part in the training.
Speaking on the occasion, KOICA Deputy Country Director Park Youngshin said the seminar creates a platform to promote women's participation in leadership by sharing strategies, experiences, and skills in communication and decision-making. "Women are breaking barriers and reshaping leadership, though challenges remain worldwide. This program is designed to help address those challenges in Ethiopia," he noted.
He further indicated that KOICA has been supporting Ethiopia in various development fields, with particular emphasis on women's economic empowerment through Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET). He underscored that Ethiopia is a key partner of South Korea in Africa, and the knowledge Ethiopian trainees gain in Korea should be shared back home for wider impact.
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KOICA Alumni Club Vice President and CIAT course presenter, Assefa Beyene (PhD), said the initiative has far-reaching benefits in boosting women's leadership skills. The training, organized two to three times a year, aims at building women's capacity through practice-based learning. He also stressed the program's importance in cementing the long-standing bilateral relations between Ethiopia and South Korea.
One of the participants, Mihert Hailmeskel (PhD), Director of Management Training at Addis Ababa Leadership Academy, told The Ethiopian Herald that such programs are critical to enhancing women's emotional intelligence and confidence in leadership. "For many years, cultural barriers limited women's roles in leadership. This initiative is expected to bridge that gap by fostering skillfulness and confidence," she remarked.
She also emphasized that while the training has multilayered benefits, women themselves should work on improving their holistic skills to fully contribute to national development.
The program forms part of KOICA's fellowship initiative, Capacity Improvement and Advancement for Tomorrow (CIAT), which partners with public institutions, universities, and research centers in Korea to provide quality training.
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Established in April 1991, KOICA is a government agency implementing South Korea's grant aid programs. It upholds the "5Ps" people, prosperity, peace, partnership, and planet as guiding pillars to achieve the 2030 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and promote mutual development cooperation for peace and prosperity.
