Inside the Ensira Women’s Cooperative in Addis Ababa, women work side by side, hands deep in clay, shaping vessels on spinning wheels and smoothing forms with practiced care.

The workshop is modest — shelves lined with pottery, tools scattered, plastic sheets draped for utility — but the energy is focused and resilient. In a society where economic opportunity often tilts toward men, these women carve out independence through craft, transforming earth into livelihood.

Each pot tells a story not just of tradition, but of agency, solidarity, and the quiet power of women building something lasting together.