Ethiopian Women Plant 1,250 Hectares to Restore Land
Affiliate Disclosure
Hey fellow impactful ninja ?
You may have noticed that Impactful Ninja is all about providing helpful information to make a positive impact on the world and society. And that we love to link back to where we found all the information for each of our posts.
Most of these links are informational-based for you to check out their primary sources with one click.
But some of these links are so-called "affiliate links" to products that we recommend.
Why do we add these product links?
First and foremost, because we believe that they add value to you. For example, when we wrote a post about the environmental impact of long showers, we came across an EPA recommendation to use WaterSense showerheads. So we linked to where you can find them. Or, for many of our posts, we also link to our favorite books on that topic so that you can get a much more holistic overview than one single blog post could provide.
And when there is an affiliate program for these products, we sign up for it. For example, as Amazon Associates, we earn from qualifying purchases.
What do these affiliate links mean for you?
First, and most importantly, we still only recommend products that we believe add value for you.
When you buy something through one of our affiliate links, we may earn a small commission - but at no additional costs to you.
And when you buy something through a link that is not an affiliate link, we won’t receive any commission but we’ll still be happy to have helped you.
What do these affiliate links mean for us?
When we find products that we believe add value to you and the seller has an affiliate program, we sign up for it.
When you buy something through one of our affiliate links, we may earn a small commission (at no extra costs to you).
And at this point in time, all money is reinvested in sharing the most helpful content with you. This includes all operating costs for running this site and the content creation itself.
What does this mean for me personally?
You may have noticed by the way Impactful Ninja is operated that money is not the driving factor behind it. It is a passion project of mine and I love to share helpful information with you to make a positive impact on the world and society. However, it's a project in that I invest a lot of time and also quite some money.
Eventually, my dream is to one day turn this passion project into my full-time job and provide even more helpful information. But that's still a long time to go.
Stay impactful,
At Impactful Ninja, we curate positive and impactful news for you. Follow us on Google News or sign up for our free newsletter to get these delivered straight to your inbox—just like our expert roundup below!
📰 The quick summary: Women in southern Ethiopia are planting trees and grasses across more than 1,250 hectares to restore degraded farmland and build more resilient livelihoods for their communities.
📈 One key stat: More than 1,250 hectares of degraded farmland have been restored since 2020, showing the real scale of what community-led tree planting can achieve.
💬 One key quote: “Patriarchal norms and customary systems often concentrate land ownership and key decision-making in men, while limiting women’s inheritance and control over land even where statutory law grants equal rights,” said Negasi Solomon, a land and environment researcher at Tigray Institute of Policy Studies.
1️⃣ The big picture: In the Sidama region of southern Ethiopia, unsustainable farming and tree cutting for fuel have been steadily degrading the land. To fight back, members of the Integrated Women’s Development Organization have been planting indigenous trees, bananas, vegetables and grasses for cattle fodder since 2020. These efforts now cover more than 1,250 hectares and have started generating income for community members, reducing their dependence on forest products like charcoal and firewood. Rapid population growth has shrunk average household farm sizes in Sidama, pushing farmers onto fragile hillsides, making restoration efforts like these especially critical. Despite the key role women play in day-to-day farm management, many still face barriers to land ownership and decision-making due to deeply rooted patriarchal norms.
2️⃣ Why is this good news: Women in Sidama are directly restoring degraded landscapes while also building more stable incomes, showing that conservation and economic empowerment can go hand in hand. Planting indigenous trees and grasses reduces the pressure on nearby forests by giving communities alternative sources of food, fodder and income. Joining the GLFx network connects this local effort to a global movement, giving members access to new knowledge, tools and partnerships that can strengthen and scale their work. Formal land title certification and the rise of women-led restoration groups are also slowly shifting power dynamics, giving more women a seat at the table in land use decisions. Initiatives like this prove that grassroots, community-driven restoration efforts led by women can deliver lasting environmental and social change.
3️⃣ What’s next: IWDO recently joined the GLFx network, which connects grassroots restoration groups worldwide, opening doors to new resources and collaboration. Ruhama Getahun hopes this membership brings fresh approaches and expands the social, economic and environmental impact of the group’s work. Researchers and advocates continue pushing for more women to join formal land use planning bodies across Ethiopia.
Read the full story here: Mongabay – Ethiopian women plant trees, restoring lands & livelihoods
