July 2, 2025
Photo: Women in Ethiopia displaying their woven products.
In Ethiopia, small gatherings of women are reshaping their lives and their communities through dialogue, connection, and collaboration. Women’s REFLECT Circles are supportive, generative spaces where women come together to build solidarity, learn, share ideas, and spark real, lasting change.
In many rural communities in Ethiopia, women’s voices are often unheard in both household and public decision-making, and their economic contributions are under-recognized or excluded entirely. But through REFLECT Circles – an innovative, participatory tool for community-led development – this dynamic is beginning to shift.
What Are REFLECT Circles?
Originally developed as a participatory learning approach combining adult literacy with social change, REFLECT Circles have evolved into powerful platforms for grassroots action. They are where ideas are born, tested, refined, and ultimately translated into action – and where women develop the confidence and opportunity to lead.
As of the most recent update, there are now 68 women-led REFLECT Circles (out of a total of 107) across the Daramalo, Bora, and Wonchi districts in Ethiopia. Through these groups, women have brought to life new options for income generation and community-building that are helping to move them and their families out of poverty and into empowerment.
Learning by Leading: Building Skills, Confidence, and Networks
Many women in REFLECT Circles start with little to no formal education or business training. That’s where Kinvia’s local partner, Wontta Rural Development Association (WRDA), offers crucial resources for capacity strengthening and skills building. WRDA has now trained 225 women in financial literacy, cost analysis, pricing, and market assessment.
These newly acquired skills have enabled women to move from informal income activities to more structured, strategic business operations. Training is complemented by ongoing technical support and mentorship from project staff and local facilitators, ensuring that women can grow and sustain their businesses.
Reviving Culture, Revitalizing Livelihoods: The Menena Selo Weaving Centre
The Menena Selo community, located in the Daramalo district and part of the larger Gamo society, is renowned for its rich cultural heritage, particularly its traditional weaving skills. However, over time, this art form had nearly faded away among the farming families of Menena Selo as younger generations shifted their focus away from ancestral crafts.
During REFLECT Circles, the women of Menena Selo talked about the decline of the tradition and recognized the need to reclaim their weaving heritage.
Ayome, one of the REFLECT Circle participants, explained that most of the community were buying factory-made clothing which was expensive. “We decided to regenerate our practice and indigenous skill for ourselves and for our children to maintain our culture and to make income in a better way,” she said.
Video: Women singing and weaving together using traditional methods.
What began as a personal endeavour – weaving for their own households – soon revealed a greater opportunity. Realizing the high demand for authentic, handwoven products and the untapped market potential, they decided to turn their craft into a sustainable livelihood.
A major challenge they faced was that the traditional spinning and weaving process was painstakingly slow, limiting their output. Determined to preserve their culture while adapting to modern needs, the women sought ways to innovate. With the support of Kinvia’s local partner, WRDA, they approached local government authorities, advocating for funds to establish a dedicated weaving centre. Their persistence paid off.
Women in the new weaving centre, combining more efficient modern methods while preserving traditional artisanship.
Fifty-eight women from two REFLECT Circles now jointly own a weaving centre equipped with improved machinery. They have also been able to employ two young men, skilled in traditional methods, to help them execute their designs.
One of these men, American Aysa, arrived in the community just a few years ago at the age of 15, having been displaced from Addis Ababa due to conflict. He was working as an agricultural labourer but was eager to apply the skills he learned from an elder in Addis Ababa to support the women’s weaving group. He is now able to contribute to his own and his family’s income by being paid to practice an art that he loves. He says that “the community appreciates me and [I am] happy with my job.”
The new weaving centre has allowed the women to significantly improve their efficiency without sacrificing the authenticity of their craft. Their stories have been broadcast on local radio and television, elevating their profile and inspiring others.
Other REFLECT Circles in Daramalo have helped women identify new agricultural options to earn a better income including small ruminant fattening, grain banking, and livestock trading.
A Shift in Power: Beyond Income to Influence
Perhaps the most profound impact of REFLECT Circles is not economic but social. As women develop their skills and businesses, they also claim a greater voice in community and household decision-making. Where once they might have deferred to men, they now lead. And with each success, they are reinforcing their right to participate fully in public life and modelling the same to others.
REFLECT Circles are more than a methodology – they are a route to equity and justice. They are giving women the tools, confidence, and collective power to step into leadership, shape their economies, and reshape their societies from the inside out.
WANT TO LEARN MORE?
- Your support makes projects like these possible. Donate today to help support more community-led projects that improve education and food security.
- A Community Builds a Bridge to a Better Future. Together.
- A Legacy of Leadership: How Communities in Ethiopia Are Growing a Future Together
- Give a Legacy Gift. Leaving a legacy gift in your Will shapes a better tomorrow, offering essential support for future generations to flourish.
