For centuries we have been hearing of one same stories on who makes every critical decision that concern Ethiopia. That would be men sitting on every hierarchical positions, isn’t it right? well correct me if I am wrong but everybody can agree on the fact women have been marginalized from most political decisions that have been made on the sake Ethiopia. In fact, nowhere do women hold equal power to men in influencing and exercising political authority worldwide.
Before going deep into gender issues in Ethiopia, I find my self sharing about the status of women participation in the political dynamics across the globe. These status was gained from Inter-Parliamentary Union‘s (IPU’s) extensive research on the matter.
Accordingly, IPU reported the current world average of women in parliaments is 23 percent and thus still quite low, compare this to the percentage of women holding executive office. A mere six percent of all executives in power in 2017 worldwide are women. A record year for women would only require 20 women to hold power simultaneously. Even in this scenario, women would comprise less than eight percent of all executives.
More stunning indicated on IPU report is that the numbers of women leading their countries is actually declining rather than increasing.
Therefore, UN Women suggests the need to incorporate more work on political empowerment of average female citizens in every country since this may strongly influence elite behavior, such as the provision of entitlements, especially those supporting gender equality.
While the challenges are steep, the struggle for having an equal right status over the political decisions still continues and a great deal of positive momentum toward expanding measures of women’s political empowerment is witnessed during our time of existance.
During the 21st centurry, where the world is joining hand to give equal share of responsibilities and rights for women as much as the men, Ethiopia joins the movenment to give its same respect for the mother, sisters,wives and daughters of the country.
Like the rest of the world, the Ethiopian Government is gradually prioritizing measures related to gender, women’s empowerment and even their poltical participations and roles in decision making.
Studies shows mirroring the construction of gender as a social structure with individual, interactional, and institutional levels, measures of women’s empowerment must consider women’s individual capacities and opportunities, community-based factors and broader arenas.
Within this broad charter, political empowerment is one of a variety of areas, often less fully articulated and studied in comparison to economic indicators. Yet, gains in women’s political empowerment directly decrease the role of gender inequality as an obstacle to incorporation as social and economic equals, and open, rather than close, the political domain to all members of society.
Indeed, as the largest group today that worldwide encounters current and historical barriers to political incorporation, women’s political empowerment is a fundmental process of transformation for benchmarking and understanding more general empowerment gains across the globe.
Within this regard, the government of Ethiopia has acknowledged women’s political empowerment as a political public good insofar as progress legitimates and commit to strengthen in realizing equal political incorporation generally. Infact the government understand the need to have women’s elite involvenment and influence and acknowledged the UN declaration of women’s empowerment as the third of its Millennium Development Goals.
With the coming of Dr. Abiy Ahmed the proportion of women parliamentarians increased, and now they hold 37 percent of Ethiopia’s parliamentary seats. top ranks were also given for women including the presidential position taken by President Sahle-Work Zewde.
Furthermore, the premiere extended his effort to equalize the gender barrier by reorganizing the cabinet resulted in women getting 50 percent of the government’s top ministerial position. Dr. Liya Tadesse’s recent appointment as the Ministry of health has pluses the share of top ranks by women. Let’s not forget the appointment of Meaza Ashenafi.
Despite recent political strides, women in Ethiopia face systemic inequities. The political inclusivity of women appears to be narrowing however significant gaps remain, and women’s engagement is needed at every hierarchy staring from districts.
Just recently I read a piece of writing entitled “The Iron Woman of Legehida Woreda.” The piece was about a woman named Asya Issa Abebe; Administrator of Legehida Woreda of South Wollo in north central Ethiopia.
Asya Issa is young and energetic woman who is committed to face formidable challenges related to gender stereotypes, limited resources available to the Woreda and the huge unmet needs of the society especially in terms of infrastructure, like many of the rural regions, however she did manage to take this extraordinarily demanding job of leading a Woreda with a population of about 90,000.
Asya has demonstrated that women, if given the opportunity, can take bigger responsibilities and play their roles much better than anyone else. And she is just one example of women committed to lead her community with strong passion.
She and many other Ethiopian women leaders can be a role model for millions of women and girls who still believe or are forced to believe that the best occupations for them are household care and child rearing.
And while narrowing the barriers and increasing the inclusivity, it is important to have influence rather than implying number of equality. Women’s political representation should be more substantive than descriptive.
Women’s representation in political parties, the legislative and executive arms of government, and at points of crisis matter, but what matters most is how these numbers translate into improving policy content and direction.
When female policymakers have influence, they positively impact the lives and wellbeing of women, girls, and society in general. And Policymakers are key actors who can implement and enforce laws against any form of gender discrimination.
Female policymakers are in better positions to understand the hurdles associated with gender discrimination in social institutions and may be better able to fight against them.
Therefore, giving more influence to female policymakers would help Ethiopians become more egalitarian and fair toward women and girls. Increased women’s political representation may help in the success of policies, but only when representation comes with actual influence and leadership.
Lastly, I conclude by saying ‘the development of nations depends on equal gender protections and it is time that we all stop splitting capacities based on gender division’.
The Ethiopian herald June 3,2020
BY BIRUKTAYET BIHON
