Ethiopia is one of Africa’s fastest growing economies, and recent political and economic reforms have recognised the importance of empowering women and increasing their participation in the labour force. Yet women remain overrepresented in lower-skilled jobs while carrying out the bulk of unpaid care work. Because gender inequality remains prevalent across the world, women’s empowerment and gender inequality are frequently highlighted in development agendas of different nation states (Bayeh, 2016). In Ethiopia, women still experience significant gender inequalities as well as economic marginalisation (IDRC, 2020). They have limited or restricted access to and control over productive capital resources, such as land, as well as financial, extension, and training services needed to increase and improve their economic capabilities and participation (Lynch, 2020; IDRC, 2020).
Glaring disparities between rural and urban women
In most instances, especially in rural areas, women are the major providers of agricultural labour, yet their contributions often go unnoticed (Lynch, 2020). Moreover, there are glaring disparities between rural and urban women’s empowerment, with rural women less privileged compared to urban women (UNICEF and Ministry of Women, Children and Youth, 2020). Women’s economic participation is further curtailed by sociocultural gender stereotypes that relegate them to reproductive and affective work while men dominate the labour force (IDRC, 2020; Lynch, 2020; Bayeh, 2016). According to UNICEF and Ministry of Women, Children and Youth (2020), progress in women’s empowerment in Ethiopia shows large regional discrepancies and that women’s empowerment is most noticeable among wealthier women. In 2018, labour force participation was recorded as being higher amongst men, 86.5% compared with 74.2% of women in the labour force (IDRC, 2020; UNDP, 2019).
Women’s Engagements with Foundational Institutions
In terms of women’s political empowerment, Ethiopia has been ranked the 16th globally after the appointment of a woman president in 2018. The country is steadily approaching a gender balance in cabinet as 47.6% of the government ministers are women (IDRC, 2020). This changing political system has greatly advanced the position of women in the public and political spheres. But women are still burdened with a disproportionate share of unpaid care work, which, despite its importance for the proper and effective functioning of the economy, remains uncounted and unregistered (IDRC, 2020; Lynch, 2020). Similar trends have been observed in relation to access to education and reproductive and sexual health care, areas where women are still largely deprived. For instance, every year 400 mothers out of every 100 000-die giving birth, and only 27% of births are attended by skilled health personnel. Further, Ethiopia is struggling to progress on gender parity in education. Only 44% of women and 59% of men are literate, and almost 20% of girls and 12% of boys are not receiving formal primary education. At higher levels of education, participation is even lower: only 5.2% of women and 10.9% of men graduating from high school attend university (World Economic Forum, 2020).
A number of programmes have been implemented by different organisations in an attempt to empower women and bridge the glaring gender disparities in Ethiopia. Some of these programmes have aimed at increasing female educational opportunities, expanding economic opportunities for women, and promoting the health and safety of women and girls (Lynch, 2020). In spite of these efforts, Ethiopian society in general still remains skewed in favour of men. Given that women constitute half of the country’s total population, unequitable development may be detrimental to the long-term impact and effectiveness of any development initiatives (Lynch, 2020).
The pandemic and it’s challenges
The COVID-19 pandemic further challenges the recent gains made by women in Ethiopia. As pointed out by Phumzile Mlambo-Ngcuka, Executive Director of UN Women, “There’s no gender-neutral pandemic, and this one is no different.” COVID-19 has affected everyone, but not equally. The impact of the pandemic cuts across all areas of women’s health and well-being. The pandemic constrains women’s access to health services and undermines their livelihoods, while increasing their burden of care and domestic labour. Cases of gender-based violence (GBV) have risen because of the global crisis, worsening the already entrenched problem of violence against women. Pre-existing toxic social norms and gender inequalities, economic and social stress caused by the pandemic, coupled with restricted movement and social isolation measures, have all contributed to an exponential increase in GBV (UN Women, 2020).
As 2020 draws to a close, the current reality in Ethiopia is one of political and military unrest. As the ongoing crisis in Tigray appears to be escalating, lessons from history show us that the inequalities faced by women only grow deeper during times of conflict. As has been seen across the African continent, when guns fail to be silenced, the gains made by women in respect of gender equality and development are soon lost as they become pawns in men’s struggles. If there is any hope for the policies that have created gains for women in Ethiopia to gain traction, the guns must be silenced.
About the author
Dr. Charmaine R.S Manyani is a Senior Gender Researcher at Includovate. She holds a PhD in Sociology from the Stellenbosch University in South Africa, where she investigated the social and environmental controversies surrounding wildlife farming in South Africa. She also holds an MA in Development Studies from the Institute of Social Studies of Erasmus University Rotterdam, Netherlands, and a B.Sc. in Administration from the University of Zimbabwe. Charmaine has experience working in the research field in projects that have primarily focused on but not limited to: gender, rural livelihoods, environmental justice, agriculture, governance, land reform, and WASH.
Includovate is a feminist research incubator that “walks the talk”. Includovate is an Australian social enterprise consisting of a consulting firm and research incubator that designs solutions for gender equality and social inclusion. Its mission is to incubate transformative and inclusive solutions for measuring, studying, and changing discriminatory norms that lead to poverty, inequality, and injustice. To know more about us at Includovate, follow our social media: @includovate, LinkedIn, Facebook, Instagram.
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References
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