The issue of gender equality remains an issue not only among the countries that prioritize and advocate for it. It continues to be a hot agenda of nations at the forefront of designing polices and implementing strategies to promote gender equalities. Several women activists are determinedly fighting for equal rights and opportunities.
Even after a century, women are still fighting to win the ear and hearts of the society, the government and policy makers. This is especially true in areas of economic equality, decision making positions and politics, which are the main challenges of most women.
"Gender equality is beyond social issues" said Dawit Solomon, a researcher in areas of gender violence. According to him, gender equality is not all about social equality. It goes beyond that. Whenever women's social status is protected, it must also be supplemented by economic right. This right includes equal pay to equal job, ownership of properties and employment opportunities, participation at the leadership ladder and other rights.
In many developing countries, it is common to see women engaging in the informal sector or holding low paying jobs, encountering challenging working conditions and exposing themselves to various hurdles including sexual violence.
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When asked to what extent the effort of the government and various institutions working in the area are protecting the rights of women, Dawit said, "Unquestionably, some encouraging steps are taken to ensure both social and economic rights of women. There were instances where women are encouraged to hold political positions, to actively engage in the economic spheres, own properties and given opportunities while competing in vacancies. Affirmative actions taken by the government is ensuring better opportunities for women. However, there are still gaps in areas of economic empowerment, which demands more efforts and the active involvement of all actors."
Using this and other gender inequality related issues as a ground, this reporter had a chance to speak with the Executive Director of Women Empowerment Africa, Mahlet Z. Redi. According to her, there are movements all over the world to ensure gender equality and improve their economic rights though there are still gaps.
This is particularly true in areas such as equal payment with their male counterparts. "This is the 21st century, yet women are still advocating for their rights- to be treated as human beings; to be paid equally; to live free from abuse and or dishonor simply for being women; still asking to be heard, respected, and empowered, which is disheartening."
And every time these concerns are raised, society tries to silence them and it is often seen being their voices are twisted to discourage them. There are times where women who spoke out against inequality considered as deviants, anti-cultural elements and labeled as a feminist with a foreign agenda.
Mahlet further said, standing for the economic and social rights of women should not be left merely to activists or any other entities. "We should not allow harmful traditional practices cripple the efforts of our heroines. We should protect the wives of the great political leaders, mothers of the future engineers and sisters of aspiring diplomats. Above all, regardless of their background or status, the rights of all women should be protected and respected."
"Gender inequality is more than social injustice; it is a systemic discrimination manifested in relegation of opportunities in education, employment, leadership, payment, property ownership, and access to financial services. Women and girls are often excluded from decision-making spaces, underrepresented in formal employment, and more likely to be unpaid or underpaid for their labor.
This economic exclusion is compounded by harmful gender norms, legal restrictions, and lack of social protections, particularly in low and middle-income countries. These restrictions limit women's ability to accumulate assets, access credit, or invest in their future. In essence, gender inequality fuels economic disempowerment, leading to poverty and inequality and creating a vicious cycle that is hard to escape.
No woman should have to apologize for asking her rights. No woman should be made to feel guilty for demanding justice. Culture should never be used as an excuse to justify harm, she added.
Regarding the efforts of the Ethiopian government to protect women's rights and ensure their benefits, she said, "Amidst the frustration, there is a truth that must be acknowledged. The Ethiopian government has taken several steps to include women in leadership. Women are currently serving as ministers, mayor, directors, and commissioners and in other key positions.
This visibility matters as it sends a powerful message to every young girl that power is not reserved for men. Women recognize this progress and value it. But it must go deeper. It must go beyond the top and reach the grassroots level because what good is symbolic power if millions of women still suffer in silence?"
Stating that government alone cannot achieve gender equality, she said that if gender equality is to be real, then society must rise to the challenge. Households must raise girls and boys with equal value. Schools must teach respect, rather than gender oriented traditional roles. Faith leaders must reject silence and preach dignity through their teachings. Organizations must stop using women's faces to polish their image while ignoring women's voices behind the scenes. Equally important, women themselves must stand together, support one another and speak truth even when it shakes the ground.
"It was not always like this. Ethiopian women did not come from silence. They came from thrones, from battlegrounds, from wisdom circles and royal courts. Empress Taytu Betul, Empress Seble Wongel Hailu, Empress Mentewab Menber, Queen Eleni, Queen Yodit Gudit...these were not women who waited quietly. They strategized, governed, fought, and built nations. Oromo women led cavalry into war. Sidama and Hadiya women held political and spiritual authority. Ethiopian history is rich with female power. The shame is not in feminism.
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Mahlet further said, and yet today, in the 21st century, many women remain confined behind kitchen doors, their strength concealed, their ideas disregarded, their ambition seen as rebellion.
But there is a bigger vision. Africa has Agenda 2063, a dream of a continent where women and men rise together, where prosperity includes everyone, where gender equality is not theory but reality. Similarly, the world has the Sustainable Development Goals, with Goal 5 calling for the end of all forms of discrimination and violence against women and girls everywhere. These are not foreign agendas. They are promises made to the next generation.
The issues raised by both experts are convincing and hold valid points. However, while all the pledges are blue prints to ensure the right and equality of women, the Ethiopian government is doing its level best to protect the rights of women. As lately indicated by Women and Social Affairs Minister Ergogie Tesfaye (PhD), the last reform years have witnessed government's effort to ensure women's right and equality. According to her, this includes bringing women into leadership circle in political activities.
A good manifestation to this claim is the number of women parliamentarians has rose into 41 %; and the number of women minster has increased to 50 %. She also indicated that the last five years have witnessed progress in women economic empowerment, with millions benefitting from cooperative unions. According to her, over 50 million women have actively engaged in saving institutions and able to save 24 billion birr, which is a good indicator of economic empowerment.
