Women representation and participation in Ethiopia can have dual aspects. At higher levels, women’s political participation and representations were not rare. From the legendary Queen Sheba, to Empress Zewditu and Etege Taitu Betul, women took the helm of state offices.
They too participated in supplying key information to combatants during the five-year Italian occupation. Shewareged Gedle was one of the notable figures in this regard.
The Italians captured and compelled her to disclose her accomplices but endured the tortures that included electric shock; Sylvia Pankhurst mentioned it in her biography.
The other daunting aspect is that women at grassroots are far from getting their deserved political and economic benefits.
Nowadays, there is visible improvement in the attitude of the society. Parents send their daughters to school, and there is relatively better environment at schools. Women leadership at schools, colleges and universities is encouraged more than ever. Hence, women participation at higher levels have shown a marked increase over the last years.
Due to this, it has become common to see this segment of the community at all government offices, in addition to their participation in the private sector.
To add to this, the new administration of Prime Minister Dr. Abiy Ahmed ushered women in the new era. His decision in reforming his cabinet with fifty percent women, the taking of women public offices including Heads of State and President of Supreme Court and National Electoral Board are just to mention but a few.
Women in Ethiopia have also remarkable representation at the legislature taking over 30 percent of the seats of the House of People’s Representatives.
Today, women have profound representations at the legislature, executive and judiciary, therefore. This is worth appreciable.
However, that does not mean the work is accomplished.
Despite the improvements, most public positions are still in the men’s club. This is so not because of shortage of educated women in the job markets. It rather is because of the existing of the daunting attitude towards women’s capability of engaging in all productive areas, in one hand.
In the other, the job environment is more of unfriendly to women. It is clear that women have double and triple responsibilities both at home and in the workplaces. Thus, the environment should take these responsibilities to consideration. Nowadays, just to cite, some public institutions are establishing day-care services. The work environment must see more innovative interventions like the daycare.
At some point legal and policy, provisions can help women to increase their participation. However, this is not always true.
There are in fact many women organizations to help more and more of them to come to leadership positions. But women themselves have great job of following the imprints of foremothers. Their role to the society’s development is undeniable. And they need to realize functional organizations to maximize their benefits.
Herald May 3/2019
BY STAFF REPORTER
