Blog 6-The status of women throughout various structural Reforms in Ethiopian History?

The status of women throughout various structural Reforms in Ethiopian History?

Gender based inequality and power relation imbalance is the basic feature of gender dynamics in Ethiopia. During the period from the Middle Age, it was found that women played a great role in various economic, social, and cultural aspects. However, they are denied control over the resources that could have ensured their economic empowerment. Among other things, women are denied ownership right over the land, political engagement, and education opportunities. The modern period in Ethiopia commenced with the coming into power of emperor Menelik II. Though modern education was opened during this time, only boys were eligible to be enrolled. During the Derg Regime, the slogan “We struggle to eradicate Double Oppression!” gave some hope for women that their situation will improve. However, the reality on the ground doesn’t hold true as enrolment at the tertiary education level is dominated by male. Over the past two decades, various legal and policy framework work that emphasise gender equality have been introduced and gender equality has been enhanced. However, still women are not equally benefiting from various socio-economic opportunities.

What Ethiopian History Tells About Women empowerment? Is there any Paradigm Shift?

Women empowerment is a bottom-up process of transforming gender power relations, through individuals or groups, developing awareness of women’s subordination and building their capacity to challenge it(Ogato, 2013). It is not shifting power control that has been exercised by men to women, rather transformation of power relations between them. Ethiopia has a long history of discrimination against women which is visible from many of its oppressive social norms and unequal payment in the labour market. Traditional norms that perpetuate harmful practices such as early marriage, lack of access to education and lack of agency inhibited women’s economic empowerment in the country. During the period from the Middle Age, it was found that women played a great role in various economic, social, and cultural life. However, they are denied control over the resources that could have ensured their economic empowerment. Among other things, women are denied ownership right over the land, political engagement, and education opportunities(Tesfaye, et al, 2019). Ethiopia’s modern period began with the accession of Emperor Menelik II to power.

Although modern education was introduced at this time, only males were permitted to enrolenroll, and girls were denied. Empress Menen School, the first girl’s school, opened its doors in 1931. However, it is still only available to females from well-to-do households. Moreover, the school served as gender role socialisation, whereby girls are learning feminine traditional roles as future wives and mothers(Tesfaye, et al, 2019. The most significant moment in history of gender resistance in Ethiopia was, commenced in the mid 1950s at the University College of Addis Ababa, which later on followed by ‘Battle of Sexes’ that influenced young female intellectuals to deliberate the need for women having organisational independence. During the Derg regime, the slogan “We struggle to eradicate Double Oppression!” gave some hope for women that their situation will improve. However, the reality on the ground doesn’t hold true as enrolment at the tertiary education level is dominated by male.

Over the past two decades, various legal and policy framework work that emphasise gender equality have been introduced. The establishment of the Ministry of Women Affairs (MoWA) for the first time in Ethiopian history was a significant step forward. The ministry played a great role by enacting ‘National Policy on Women’ in 1993. The policy identified the broad areas that require specific policy intervention to address gender issues in education, health, women rights, Land ownership, protection from domestic violence, Early Marriage, FGM/C, Divorce…etc.(Ethiopian Ministry of Women, 1993) According to Growth Transformation plan II, women account for 20% of Agricultural Extension recipients, and 41.8% of micro finance service beneficiaries. Between 2010 and 2015, the government was composed of 1 female (33.3%) and 2 male (66.6%) deputy prime ministers; 21 male (87.5%) and 3 female (12.5%) cabinet ministers; and 44 male (91.7%) to only 4 women (8.3%) state ministers(Tesfaye, et al, 2019).

Among the 2015 post development agenda, structural transformation and inclusive growth is the second growth transformation plan that Ethiopia intended to achieve. Though the country attempted to workworking towards inclusivetowards, inclusive growth inequality in relation to social, educational, health, labour market and other socio-political dimensions stilldimensions are still remain the main challenge(.Kedir, 2014) Women in Ethiopia have been playing a great role in various economic and social spheres. For example, though women play a key role in agricultural activities, the perception that classifies women’s work and their contribution to the society as invisible excludes them from benefiting from the fruits of their labour. The amendment of Family Law in 2000, that introduces significant change towards women’s empowerment and their ability to self-advocate, work for fair wages and own property is the prominent one. It also addressed child marriage by increasing legal marriage from 15 to 18, ensured equal entitlement to property in the marriage, and freedom to work in area of the spouse’s choice.

In addition to the family law, Agricultural Transformation Agency (ATA) has developed a gender-mainstreaming strategy to promote gender equality across all its programming and organisational development processes. Structural reform includes the creation of the Ministry of Women, Children and Youth Affairs, with a mandate to work in areas that affect children and youth regardless of their gender. The government also designed a land certification programme and targeted vulnerable and food insecure families including those headed by females through its PSNP(Gemma, 2013). Another important development is aimed at increasing the political empowerment of women through their appointment in various political decision-making roles. The Ethiopian parliament nominated the country’s first female president in 2018(Latif, 2018). When Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed chose ten women to prominent ministerial positions, the world community celebrated, resulting in a gender-balanced cabinet((Latif, 2018).

Regardless of all these efforts, still women are discriminated against when it comes to access to resources and opportunities. Basically, women are denied access to productive assets including ownership to land and underserved in agricultural extension, credit service, labour and other farming inputs. Coming to the labour market, women employment in the formal sector is lower than men. This is due to low level of education and training, lack of exposure to the business world, and limited access to financial services. Generally, gender equality and women’s empowerment activity in Ethiopia lacks in the following major aspects; limitation in the coverage of national women’s policy, inadequate assessment of women’s roles and responsibilities, limited assessment of women decision making role, continuation of harmful customs and practice to the detriment of women’s rights.

Currently, Ethiopian women are entitled to remedial and affirmative measures to enable them to compete and participate on the basis of equality with men in political, economic and social life. Women have the right to protection by the state from harmful customs and practices that press them or cause bodily or mental harm.

Key Points

Gender equality is found to be smart economics, which means that women’s economic empowerment is a goal towards which all developing countries shall target for enhancement of their human rights, social justice, and economic benefits.
Working on gender-based constraints will serve as a catalyst of economic development.
Lifting time constraints for girls and women will enable them to engage in the formal labour market thereby increasing their productivity and economic empowerment.
In Ethiopian history from the past to present women are equally contributing to socio-economic development of the country, However, their social status regarding economic empowerment, safety and security, and property ownership are not realised to date.
Regardless of major efforts made by the government, women still constitute the majority in the informal sector that doesn’t have educational skill, whereas male dominate in a formal labour market that demands educational qualification.
Any intervention mechanism aimed at women empowerment shall appreciate the existing societal norms and design specific mechanisms to address each need as a ‘one-size-fits-all’ will not work in this case.

Final note and Suggestions Conclusion

Generally, in Ethiopia’s history, women’s position in the public and political spheres has been affected by various socio-cultural factors. Though women contribute a great role in all aspects of economics and all aspects of life, they have been subjected to gender inequality and imbalanced power dynamics. Though the Ethiopian government has undertaken various policy and institutional reforms, Women continue to face discrimination in terms of access to resources and opportunities. Women are essentially denied access to productive assets, including land ownership, and are underserved in agricultural extension, loan service, labour, and other farming inputs.

What should be done?Recommendation

Policies and programs put in place shall be implemented so that meaningful structural changes will be implemented.
To maximise opportunities for women empowerment, focus shall be made to understand the cultural dimensions of how women in different social contexts experience empowerment.
Reconsideration of the scope of women’s policy, mainstreaming gender equality in all of the institutional frameworks and putting gender concern at the micro and macro-economic plan shall be a way forward.

Reference

Ogato, S. (2013) ‘The quest for gender equality and women’s empowerment in least developed countries: Policy and strategy implications for achieving millennium development goals in Ethiopia’, International Journal of Sociology and Anthropology, 5(9), pp. 358–372.
Tesfaye, S., Hirut, B. and Rahel, A. (2019) ‘Women and Development in Ethiopia: A Sociohistorical Analysis’, Journal of Developing Societies, 35 (2), pp. 230-255.
Dahir, Abdi Latif D.A(2018) ‘Ethiopia’s new 50% women cabinet isn’t just bold—it’s smart’.
Ethiopian Ministry of Women (1993) National Policy on Women. Addis Ababa, Ethiopia
Gemma.B (2013). A Hidden History: Women’s Activism in Ethiopia. Journal of International Women’s Studies, 14(3), 96-107. Available at: https://vc.bridgew.edu/jiws/vol14/iss3/7
Kedir, A.M. (2014) ‘Inclusive Growth and Inequalities in the Context of Structural Transformation: Evidence from Ethiopia’, Society for International Development. Palgrave Macmillan, pp. 512–520

Blog 6-The status of women throughout various structural Reforms in Ethiopian History?

Leave A Comment Cancel reply