By Hidaya Muhiden and Ethiopia Lemma Yemiru
Women are essential as leaders in communities, advocates for civil and human rights, and effective peacemakers. It is widely recognised that when women have equal participation in all aspects of life and possess the power and capacity to achieve outcomes comparable to those of men, societies, communities, and families experience greater security and prosperity.
Greater gender equality is associated with faster economic growth, improved food security and nutrition, and increased agricultural productivity, resilience, and water security (USAID, 2023). By increasing women’s education and resources, the health and education of future generations are also enhanced. This blog examines the role of policy change in promoting women’s economic empowerment and its benefits for women and girls.
Problem
Traditional practices that perpetuate women’s subordinate status and hinder their equal growth and development contribute to the marginalisation of Ethiopian women. On a global scale, women’s participation in the workforce is still lower than that of men. According to the World Bank (2022), the average female workforce participation rate is 50%, while the average male rate is 80%. However, in Ethiopia, the gap is smaller, with a female participation rate of 75% compared to a male rate of 86% (World Bank Open Data, n.d.). Nevertheless, it is important to increase awareness and education about gender-related issues through various policies and programs.
The process of policy-making is complex and often involves numerous obstacles. Unforeseeable events, such as ministers losing favour or being transferred, or uncooperative civil servants, can result in significant delays and loss of work. It is not always possible for academic researchers and others to successfully bring about policy change, as the process is often unpredictable.
The economic empowerment of women
Empowering women is closely associated with improved development outcomes, and it can significantly reduce poverty while promoting economic growth. By enhancing women’s and girls’ access to and control over resources, overall productivity can be increased, social status and general well-being improved, and economic gains maximised. For these reasons, women’s empowerment has become a critical strategy and objective for sustainable and long-lasting development.
Policymakers face a challenge in balancing their desire for economic growth, a decline in income inequality, and gender equality. However, gender-responsive fiscal policies can boost labour productivity and sustainably growing economies, according to recent research (Fabrizio et al, 2020). For instance, closing the literacy gap between men and women can increase women’s productivity and prepare them for skilled jobs. Additionally, infrastructure that reduces labour demands, such as access to clean water, can provide women with more time to pursue paid employment. Furthermore, eliminating tax distortions, which refer to the inefficiencies created by certain tax policies, such as those affecting lower-wage earners, and encouraging diversity in the workforce can also increase productivity (Fabrizio et al, 2020). Governments can actively promote policies to increase the female labour force, which in turn can result in greater female participation in the workforce.
Advocacy efforts at all levels, including community-based initiatives, are essential. Utilising a variety of media and strategies through formal and informal channels can be effective in achieving the desired attitudinal change. A concerted effort from all stakeholders is necessary to bring about the desired change in attitudes. By systematically embedding gender considerations in every stage of policy and program development, the institutionalisation of gender in government initiatives will enable women to benefit from development interventions at all levels.
Ethiopia
Ethiopian women face disproportionate poverty due to gender-based disparities in access to resources and income-generating opportunities. Women are frequently engaged in unpaid care work, which is a time and energy-consuming activity that limits their access to the labour market and relegates them to low-income and insecure employment. Furthermore, women’s involvement in development-related fields is restricted by environmental factors and a lack of technology. Customary laws that are biased towards gender also limit women’s rights, which are perpetuated by traditional laws and family arbitration systems. Women often lack adequate knowledge of their legal rights (World Bank, 1998).
Despite these challenges, the Ethiopian government has recognised the need for special initiatives and affirmative action to promote gender equality and improve the economic status of women. Efforts have been made to increase women’s access to and control over productive resources, including revising credit rules and establishing rural credit systems to reach marginalised women.
Ethiopia has taken significant steps to incorporate the gender dimension in development interventions, reflecting its commitment to gender equality. For instance, gender indicators have been created in development projects and programs to ensure that women’s needs and perspectives are taken into account. Ethiopia’s Women’s Policy is designed to establish women’s political, economic, and social rights, ensuring equitable development for both Ethiopian men and women, and to develop public policies and interventions that promote the well-being of women and girls. This involves establishing appropriate structures within government offices and institutions. This commitment is exemplified by Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed’s decision in 2018 to nominate women to 50% of parliamentary seats, resulting in a significant increase in Ethiopia’s gender development indexes and demonstrating the impact of institutionalising gender for women’s empowerment and broader societal involvement.
To improve women’s economic status, they have received skills training, such as technical and entrepreneurial training, as well as access to credit and control over economic resources through government and NGO-supported initiatives. Wube and Atwal (2023) highlight the establishment of a special fund promotion institute to facilitate the establishment of micro-credit enterprises as a critical step towards women’s economic empowerment. By revising and adopting the existing credit system, this initiative would enhance women’s access to credit, allowing both the government and the private sector to focus on women’s economic needs and contribute to their empowerment.
Recommendations
The following are five key policy considerations that can benefit women and girls:
- Acknowledge the complementary perspectives, needs, interests, roles, and responsibilities of men and women.
- Address the unique needs, interests, strengths, and capacities of women.
- Identify and remove barriers that prevent women from reaching their full potential.
- Provide women and girls with equal access to opportunities and resources.
- Encourage men and boys to champion gender equality.
Conclusion
This blog discusses the role of policy change in promoting women’s economic empowerment in Ethiopia. Women’s participation in the workforce is crucial for economic growth, and policies can be implemented to increase female labour force participation. Gender-responsive fiscal policies can boost productivity and sustainably grow economies. Empowering women can significantly reduce poverty while promoting economic growth. Ethiopia has taken significant steps to incorporate the gender dimension in development interventions, and efforts have been made to increase women’s access to and control over productive resources. The Ethiopian government has recognised the need for special initiatives and affirmative action to promote gender equality and improve the economic status of women.
Acknowledgment
This blog is a series to reflect on our learnings from a project under the Growth and Economic Opportunities for Women (GrOW) – East Africa Initiative. GrOW is jointly funded by the International Development Research Centre (IDRC), Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, and The William and Flora Hewlett Foundation. In collaboration with our partners – WISE for capacity strengthening of key policy actors and Addis PowerHouse for running advocacy efforts – we will enhance women’s economic empowerment (WEE), reduce, recognise and redistribute unpaid care in Ethiopia and strengthen the in-country coalition of key WEE champions.
References
- Fabrizio S, Gurara D, Kolovich L. (2020) “Fiscal Policies For Women’s Economic Empowerment”. Available at: https://www.imf.org/en/Blogs/Articles/2020/02/18/fiscal-policies-for-womens-economic-empowerment
- Wube, M.C. and Atwal, H. (2023) ”Policy and women entrepreneurs in MSES in Ethiopia: Does gender moderate the relationship between policy components of the entrepreneurial ecosystem and the performance of MSES?”
- OECD. (2020). Gender Equality And Women’s Empowerment 2020 Policy. Available at: https://www.oecd.org/swac/data-and-dialogue/gender-west-africa/USAID_GenderEquality_Policy_2020.pdf
- World Bank Open Data (no date) Labour force participation rate, female (% of female population ages 15+) (modelled ILO estimate) – Ethiopia. Available at: https://data.worldbank.org/indicator/SL.TLF.CACT.FE.ZS?locations=ET (Accessed: 22 December 2023).
- World Bank. (1998) “Gender Issues in Ethiopia: Implementing the National Policy on Women. Africa Region Findings & Good Practice Infobriefs; No. 119. Washington, DC.
- World Bank. (2022) Female Labor Force Participation, Gender Data Portal. Available at: https://genderdata.worldbank.org/data-stories/flfp-data-story/
- OECD.(2013).The Nature of Policy Change and Implementation: A Review of Different Theoretical Approaches. Available at: https://www.oecd.org/education/ceri/The%20Nature%20of%20Policy%20Change%20and%20Implementation.pdf
- USAID (2023) 2023 gender equality and women’s empowerment policy. Available at: https://www.usaid.gov/sites/default/files/2023-07/2023_Gender%20Policy_508.pdf