Women’s rights struggle of Guraghe community
Feminism has a short history in many parts of the world though it has got a long history in Ethiopia, The Land of Origins. It has been known in different terms among the Ethiopian societies for unknown time as Hadha Sinqe among the Oromos and Yekakie Wurdwet in the Guraghe community, the latter is the focus of this piece.
One highflying woman from the Guraghe community started a struggle to enable women seize their deserved socio-economic and political rights 150 years ago. The lady was widely known among the community by the name Ye Kakie Wurdwet but her given name is confirmed as Wurdwet. Ye Kakie Wurdwet—could, therefore, be equivalent to Kakie’s daughter—Kakie is her father’s name.
Wurdwet challenged the system that gave power only to men. She could be regarded as the first proponent of women’s rights in the community, breaking some traditions which long oppressed women. She struggled for the freedom of women.
Ye Kakie Wurdwet was the fourth and the last daughter born to her parents. She was born in Sebat Bet Guraghe, Mihur Ena Aklil – Zhermene Kebele in 1839.
Her father, Damo Kakie Werabo (Damo is a title given to a bountiful man in Guraghe community), was a prominent, rich and respected person around Mihur Ena Aklil area. And he was Ethiopian Orthodox Tewahdo Christianity follower. While her mother, Ajyet Amina (Ajyet is the title given to generous woman), was from Welene Bete Guraghe and. she was a follower of Islam.
As shown in the Study and Research Journal of the Ethiopian National Theatre, Ye Kakie Wurdwet started her nonviolent struggles in 1860 at the age of 21— three years after she got married to a man who was from Ezha Bete Guraghe.
She and her compatriots picked 12 social and economic issues that they believed women of the time had been deprived of.
Women’s right of inheritance, the right to property, and the right to choose partner, the right to divorce; the right to establish traditional judicial system led by women; the right to choose one’s family name from either of the two parents are few of them.
Wurdwet and her friends take the issues to Yejoka Shengo – higher traditional judicial system of Guraghe. Some of their questions were properly addressed. But some of their questions are unanswered even until today.
Public Relations and Communication Head at Guraghe Development and Cultural Association, Mengistu Hailemariam, told The Ethiopian Herald that the first and main issue raised by Ye Kakie Wurdwet and her friends was to avoid ‘Ankit’ which prohibits females from making a divorce without their husbands’ consent. This issue seems to have been a bit difficult for Yejoka elders to pass their final judgment at that time, he said.
For this reason, they made lots of efforts to keep the question unaddressed. Another very critical question was the insistence for one man to marry only one wife. Otherwise, female ought to be green lighted to marry more than one husband as well.
“Ye Kakie Wurdwet, is the main advocate of women’s rights. She raised political, social and economic rights of women at that time. She tried to alter traditions that pose harms to women”, Mengistu noted.
Culture, History and Heritage Study and Development Head with the Guraghe Zone Culture, Tourism and Communication Bureau, Mengistu Abera, also told The Ethiopian Herald that Ye Kakie Wurdwet struggled for the freedom and equality of women though the resistance lasted for short period due to different reasons.
Yejoka Shengo adjured her to stop her struggle and to lead her personal life. Hence, the struggle of women at that time fails to proceed with more fever.
He said that she was a very influential lady at that time. There were different factors that enabled her to be influential. She adopted the norms of two religions – Orthodox Christianity and Islam.
In summing up, it is not exaggeration to conclude that working for women’s rights started earlier in Ethiopia.
Hearld March 29/2019
BY ABDUREZAK MOHAMMED
