Issuing health guidance to prevent the spread of COVID-19 is only effective if the population adopts these norms. In Ethiopia, health authorities have complained that social distancing, mask-wearing, and other guidelines have not been adhered to by the public, to the point where the country’s prime minister urged people not to ignore the precautions in late December 2020. The garment and textile sector has faced the same challenge, particularly among industrial parks, where an unwillingness to follow preventive measures was a critical issue for factories. High numbers of confirmed COVID-19 cases led to misinformation, fear, and disruption of work routines in some parks.

To tackle this, the ILO SIRAYE team, in consultation with key partners, produced a series of educational materials in the form of posters, videos, and audio messages to disseminate reliable and accessible information about the virus to workers and managers in the industrial parks. All audio-visual materials were produced in Amharic and address critical questions from workers about the pandemic. Videos featuring discussions with medical specialists and testimonials from people who have had the virus were also shared with workers to learn essential lessons about virus prevention and self-isolation.