• Premier underlines voice, participation of women for national peace
ADDIS ABABA- Prime Minister Dr. Abiy Ahmed has called on women to play their role in building peaceful nation by removing the challenges of the country. March 8 is celebrated annually to venture changes by understanding challenges women are still facing, he noted.
During the national celebration of March 8 yesterday at African Union conference hall, Dr. Abiy said that the country is taking bold reforms on women empowerment, to tackle victims of all types of violence, to strengthen women’s social protection and improving gender equality in its reforms.
Although the country scored many changes on women empowerment, the purpose of celebrating March 8 is not to amplify the success, but to understand the challenges that women are still facing and renew commitment to break all gender based abuses and for better empowerment of women.
Dr. Abiy further urged women to work hard towards ensuring national peace. Families are nothing without women; similarly women are the pillars of nation building, he indicated.
“If women can’t carry the burden, a nation can’t survive and the country is at critical times which need the role of women for togetherness”, he said. “The country needs women’s role to fight mob thinking, hate speech, illegal activities, abuses, slur and other harmful tendencies,” the premier added.
The silence of women and those people who love togetherness in Ethiopia opens the door for those few arrogant people to thrive and disturb the country’s stability.
Minister of Women, Children and Youth Affaires, Yalemtsehay Asfaw on her part stated that the celebration of March 8 is the day of promise for better women participation and gender equality. She stated that the ministry is working aggressively to tackle the challenges that women are facing, yet it needs commitment and integration of all stakeholders and men’s partnership.
The country is focusing on boosting the economic participation of women in addition to their participation in political decision making power in government administrations.
March 8 was celebrated yesterday for the 109th time with the theme “balance for better” worldwide and for the 43rd time at national level under the theme “Better attention and commitment for women holistic participation and benefit”.
The Ethiopian Herald March 9/2019
BY DARGIE KAHSAY
