Ethiopia, though remaining one of the least urbanised countries in the world, has taken impressive actions to transform the state into a more industrialized nation.Several industrial parks have been built in recent years throughout the whole country. The textile sector is one of these sectors. The textile industry is expected to provide employment for hundreds of thousands and thus improve people's living conditions and contribute to the development of the country. Major reason for asian investors to shift their focus to Ethiopia are extremely low wages and the lower production costs involved. The Ethiopian textile industry has to deal with high rates of labor turnover and absenteeism. From the perspective of the mostly international managers the reason for turnover and absenteeism is often attributed to the 'mindset' of the predominantly female workforce. A research project financed by the German Bundesministerium für wirtschaftliche Zusammenarbeit und Entwicklung is looking at reasons and possible measures to solve this problem. Results of this project (conducted at the University of Giessen by Michaela Fink and Reimer Gronemeyer together with Ethiopian colleagues are presented in this book. Experts from Ethiopia and Germany are presenting the history of the textile industry in Ethiopia and the coming development. All this is framed by the discussion of present crisis - Covid-19; the war - in Ethiopia).

Prof. Dr. Reimer GronemeyerandDr. Michaela Fink work at the Institute of Sociology at the University of Gießen.  

Ethiopian Textile Industry: A Beacon of Hope or a Hotspot of Crisis?.- Understanding the Causes of High Labor Turnover and Absenteeism in the Ethiopian Clothing Industry: Interviews with (female) Workers and Management Personnel.- Ethiopian Women in the Textile and Garment Industry Inquiry into their Working Conditions and Withdrawal Intentions.- Working in the Ethiopian Textile Industry: Villagers Perception.- Labor Related Challenges of Textile and Garment Industries in the Ethiopian Industrial Parks: The Perspective of Stakeholders.- Economic Development at All Costs? The Ethiopian Textile Industry and its (Female) Workers.- Africa can be the Future! Challenges and Opportunities of the Ethiopian Textile Industry A conversation with Stephan Rehlen.-Ethiopias Industrial Policy and the Notion of the Developmental State.- The Contribution of German Development Cooperation to the Establishment of a Sustainable Textile Industry in Ethiopia - A Field Report.- How the Ethiopian Textile Industry Came on Track.- A Historical Perspective on the Traditional Ethiopian Textile Industry and its Significance for Modern Ethiopian Society.- Conclusion and Outlook .