BY TEWODROS KASSA
“Imagine living in a place free from the world’s social norms about gender. Where men and women have equal status and there is no sense of what one must do simply because they are a man or a woman, where the rights of the elderly and children are not pushed to the wayside in favour of greed, power, and money.
Want to live in a place like this? The good news is that is does exist – in Ethiopia,” GirlTalkHQ News and Media website posted some five years ago in its Family Life page under the title ‘Awra Amba – The Ethiopian Village Where Men, Women & Children Are All Considered Equal.’
As to the piece, the global community can certainly copy its power structure and further the cause of gender equality everywhere.
Awra Amba is located in the rural part of the Amhara State of Ethiopia, 65km north of Bahir Dar in Woji Kebele. The village is known for where all men, women, and children are considered to be equal. In this community men and women can do any tasks together, irrespective of any differences.
Recently, the Zumra Community marked its 50 years anniversary under the theme ‘Let us build our values together.’
During the 50th anniversary of the Awramba community, leader and founder of the community Zumra Nuru said that the community realizes this well-maintained culture of democracy and equality through the equal participation of every member of the community.
The community derived its name from its original locality, Awramba, a Kebele in Fogera district, South Gondar Zone of Amhara State. It was established 50 years ago by a revolutionary thinker, Zumra Nuru who believed that the conservative and reactionary norms of the nearby society need to be transformed to progress in all aspects of life.
Zumra and his fellow community members had passed through formidable resistance from the nearby community to stand as an entity. Eventually, the community and its founder are able to win fame and respect throughout Ethiopia for their unique and progressive thinking and ethics. During the commemoration event cultural experts applaud the motto of the community that is speak good, do good, avoid abuse and violence.
Due to these unique principles and practices, the community is able to spiral from rejection to acceptance by the local community, and appreciation at the global level.
“The community has its own philosophy of life. No dispute between husband and wife. If at all it happens, the community soon settles it. Peacemaking starts from the family level. In our community, discussion is the basis for all decisions and activities.”
Zumera advised everyone to give priority to peace and humanity and to sustain harmony in the nation; everyone must stand for love and respect. He also urged fellow citizens to prioritize peace and humanity.
Spouse of Zumra, Enaney Kibret said for her part that theft, hatred, bad speech and lying are strictly forbidden by the norms of the community. Nothing would stop the development of Ethiopia if all available resources are utilized peacefully, of course with good manners and for shared benefit.
She further noted that the community promotes gender equality and never attributes any kind of work as belonging to either a man or a woman. Peace, hard work, and equality are the core values of the community.
Presenting a research paper during the anniversary, a scholar Kindalem Damte (PhD) stated that the main means of labor for the Awramba community are weaving and commerce. Expanding the community’s philosophy is of paramount importance to Ethiopia to realize egalitarian community and sustainable peace.
According to researches, the Awramba community is a local community in Ethiopia which is supposed to be a suitable habitant to its residents in exercising harmonious life.
Zumra community consists of 141 households and 462 inhabitants. Zumra Nuru, a 63 year old farmer, is the co -founder and co-chair of Awramba community. In 1972, Zumra Nuru launched the society he dreamed of with 19 other people who adopted his vision. In order to join the community, one has to be honest and live peacefully: one should not lie, steal, swear, quarrel or behave immorally.
They seriously condemn social disorders such as theft, corruption, illiteracy, telling lies, quarrelling, gender inequality, and other aggressive behaviour. These behaviours are reshaped in the pre-primary school, family discussion and other discussions at a community level. They do not celebrate any public holidays or other rituals as they believe it wastes their time of working.
The administration system of Awramba community is organized in 13 sub-committees. The community provides social security to its members in need. There is a home for the elderly with 24-hour care. Other committees are a committee for weekly development, rules and regulations, field work coordinator, education, for keeping lost and found belongings, for receiving guests, taking care of patients and new mothers including those who get three months of maternity leave, for receiving complain, sanitation, community security, curbing individual and community problems. Members call this system a development structure of the community. The committee consists of men and women who are selected by the community members for a defined term of service.
The community engage themselves in handicrafts, especially in weaving, due to shortage of cultivable land. Every member participates in the cooperative work except too elders and breast-feeding females and late pregnant. Tasks are given regardless of gender differences, but ability.
In southern and some other parts of Ethiopia, forced and early marriages have been still practiced which is strictly forbidden in the context of Awramba community. The community members believe that girls should marry when they reach 18 and above while boys are married at 22 years of age and above. The community has established a library service to the elders and a pre-primary school for the children. They send their children to kindergarten above three. Children get access to primary and secondary education in a school run by members of the community itself.
Nowadays, Awramba community is internationally recognized and becoming the main study site to many local and foreign researchers.
GirlTalkHQ also confirms this reality. “Awra Amba received many visitors who are fascinated by its model of equality, so they have created ways for outsiders to learn more about their commune and how they can implement its values in their own lives,” it stated.
GirlTalkHQ is a daily news media website focused on the representation of women in the media.
THE ETHIOPIAN HERALD FRIDAY 1 JULY 2022
