Hela Clothing, a global apparel manufacturer with factories across Kenya, Ethiopia and Sri Lanka, has been recently awarded as the most inclusive employer of the year by the Ethiopian Center for Disability and Development at the inclusive employers’ forum.
The Sri Lanka embassy here in Ethiopia told to The Ethiopia Herald that this award is conferred on the manufacturer as a recognition of Hela’s efforts to nurture a culture of inclusivity within their workforce that is further exhibited in their hiring as well as promoting & retention policies.
Group General Manager of Human Resources and Administration at Hela Clothing, Manique Jayasooriya said “This award is a further validation of our belief that our strength lies in our diversity. We have always prided ourselves in being an equal opportunity employer.
As such we have nurtured a culture that is respectful and inclusive. We have also set procedures and programmes in place to ensure that we empower our team members as well as take care of their health and needs. This includes transparent decision making, clear-cut career paths, and opportunities to step up skill, free meals, free transportation, and free onsite medical care.”
“We make sure that our team members have the tools they need to succeed in their careers and in life,” she added.
Having commenced operations in Ethiopia in 2017 as Hela Indochine the factory quickly grew to employ 1,600 people and account for over two third of the country’s total knit women’s underwear exports. In 2019, the factory reached the milestone of producing one million units per month. It has pressed ahead with beefing up its capacity.
With an 80 percent female workforce the company has also taken steps to incorporate women’s empowerment initiatives on site. These include educational sessions on family planning, life skills, sexually transmitted diseases, and personal hygiene. Moreover, the factory provides a crèche facility where working mothers can have their children looked after during work hours thus further lowering the barrier to employment.
The Ethiopia Center for Disability and Development is an Ethiopian civil-society organization established in 2005. This organization works collaboratively with other organizations to promote, facilitate and build capacity for disability inclusive development in Ethiopia.
Hela Clothing is a 200 million USD company that provides sustainability focused apparel supply chain solutions. The company works closely with global brands, from design to delivery, in the intimate, sleepwear and kids’ product ranges. With 10 factories across three countries and a workforce of 14,000 across the globe, Hela leads the industry in ethical and sustainable working environments.
The Ethiopian Herald January 19/2020
BY MEHARI BEYENE
