In Ethiopia, though a lot of researches and investigations have been carried out with regards to women, until recently the country has no detailed and consolidated data that shows gender aspects clearly. To reverse this, Ministry of Women, Child and Youth in collaboration with national and international organizations, has announced National Gender Information System (NGIS).
The developed web-basedsystem, as it is announced, can demonstrate and reflect the actual national gender data. It shows vividly the participation and benefit of women in all aspects such as health, economy, social and decision making power as well.
According to Tigist Misgenaw, Director of Information Communication Technology with the Ministry, the system will facilitate and contribute to assess Ethiopia’s progress towards realizing gender equality and equity government’s dedication in terms of empowering women, the magnitude of fulfilling national, regional and international conventions, and enable to evaluate and report major performance of development agendas like GTP II, (III), and Agenda 2063, 2030 SDGs, CEDAW, and BPfA
Furthermore, the system will allow having a wide range of information on gender particularly on five major domains education, health, economy, decision making and human security, she elucidated.
As to her concerning information on education the system holds 14 indicators like ratio of female teachers in primary, secondary and tertiary schools, proportion of females in adult education, gross enrolment rate for person with special needs, gender parity index, literacy and repetition rate.
Pertaining information related to health, it demonstrates the life expectancy, maternal mortality and contraceptive prevalence rates of women. Likewise, with regard to the economic situation, it feeds the desired information- the number of women received entrepreneurship trainings, beneficiaries of agricultural extension, participants in micro and small enterprises in terms of location, types and level mentioning that a number of development partners and international organizations, AfDB, UNICEF and UN, have contributed a lot for the successful accomplishment of the system development, in multi-lateral way, she said: “AfDB, has been contributing to Software development, ICT equipment support hardware purchase and consultation on the indicators with federal and regional stakeholders.
UNICEF, on its part had contributed in framework development on the structure and content of the database/system, providing technical advice and support on the system.
AdinewAbera Director of Public Relations with the Ministry also said the pilot project that the Ministry implemented has shown encouraging result and it is feasible and attainable to carry out the system with the existing resources and conducive environments in the country.
According to him, since the system is new for the country, the Ministry, in collaboration with development partners, has been providing trainings for experts that have been serving at federal and state levels. It has also planned to expand the system in all states. The Ministry, apart from offering the training, it sets plan to provide technical supports to states so as to enable them enter into the system.
The Ethiopian Herald February 19/2020
BY TAMERU REGASA
