International Women’s Day (March 8), which Ethiopia has been marking for years, has had little impact in narrowing gender parity, according to a media professional and artists The Ethiopian Herald approached seeking their comments.
Ayalew Asres, a journalist, says that although the country has been celebrating the Day over the past four decades, it has not brought about tangible outcomes in the lives of women.
Ayalew said: “If empowerment had evolved in those years, we could have seen more women than now in the parliament and at ministerial and head of state levels; and substantive changes would have been achieved.” Even these days, women’s participation in the economic, social and political spheres of the country lags far behind that of their counterparts, he elaborated. Works should be done at grassroots level in order to augment women’s political and economic participation, and enhance their contributions to national transformation, Ayalew recommended.
Rahel Shibabaw, a documentary filmmaker, for her part said that women comprise fifty percent of the total population, and envisioning development aspirations that ignores or excludes half of the population from participation is unviable.
“Commemorating the Day by itself does not yield the desired outcome.” Ensuring their equal engagement and active participation is of utmost importance, she underscored.
In fact, she said, currently the government has taken some tangible strides regarding women’s political empowerment. While this is encouraging, there are some areas it should seriously look into and take measures to empower them.
“Ethiopian women are industrious with a number of virtues like commitment, courage, kindness among others, even if these potentials are less emphasized. Therefore, let us focus on their strengths and work to empower them,” Rahel remarked.
Agreeing with Rahel, Alem Getachew, a full time studio artist, also said that the government has made the most notable steps by assuming women at the highest and key leadership positions of the government. The appointment of the first ever Ethiopia’s women President, President Sahelwork Zewde is one of the top manifestations of its political commitment. In addition, this, certainly, would inspire many Ethiopian female students, and brighten their future.
However, this does not mean that females’ participation and engagement has reached at the desired level. Rather, it is much below the par, she said.
As to her, a number of women are still leading ‘the poorest of poor life’. To overcome these challenges, governmental and nongovernmental organizations, civic associations and the community at large should work hand in hand to promote economic development that benefits women, she opined,
Especially, due attention should be given for women with disability as their burden is twofold, Alem added.
The Ethiopian Herald March 8, 2019
BY ELIZABETH MENGISTU
