Walking the talk,  Women's advancement

  BY WORKU BELACHEW

To day Ethiopia is marking Women's Day for the 38^th times at a national level under the theme: “Gender Equality is the Foundation of Our Development Plans and Renaissance.” To brainstorm on past, present achievements and future directions as well as to close gaps felt in the course of women empowerment the day would be so monumental.

Compared to other countries in Africa, women in Ethiopia played unrivaled roles in the social, political and economic fronts though they were denied recognition. We can mention Etege Taitu Bitul, who also led army unit during the battle of Adowa. Not only that, women in Ethiopia was also placed at the helm of a government, Empress Zeweditu MeneliK II and Queen Shaba for instance. However, even these women were facing tough challenges due to the wrong attitude of the majority to wards women. Thus, women had to be in a harsh situations until recent times.

These days, countless of girls have been enrolled in various schools, colleges and universities. A significant number of women are also making decisions in a range of government, non government and private organizations. In most rural part of the country, as documents show, women and girls have already started enjoying their rights. In a nutshell, their involvement in the over all development of the nation shows a marked increase.

True, the involvement of women in every development endeavours has equal meaning with improving the livelihood of a given society or a nation. The way out to avoid domestic and international conflicts is to bring as many women to a leadership position, and to a negotiating table. No women in the world appreciate warfare. To transform a society, the gearshift functions better when women operate it. At a family level, they shape the future of a nation. Government structures with inadequate number of women lags behind and achieves so little. What we can learn from the footstep of the developed world is that empowering a women is synonymous with transforming a society. Most growing economies in the world, also cast out previous daunting attitudes towards women.

In the effort of poverty eradication that Ethiopia has been engaged so far, a great deal of achievement has been registered. With no confusion, this achievement could not have been real, had women and girls been denied their right place. Be it in decision making or whatever their role has been immense. One can see handful of women in a political decision making posts. Countless of women have organized themselves to ensure the respect of their rights. They are also benefiting themselves in the economic wise after getting organized in micro and small scale enterprises, both in urban and rural areas. Apart from creating jobs for themselves, they have also created thousands of jobs to their neighborhoods.

In fact, one could not dare say that the landscape is completely comfortable for women. Yet, there are discomforts that are handicapping women not to attain their visions. Some individuals have still got it hard to accept as women can do everything that men can. The men's world seems still dominating, particularly in developing counties like ours. Blockades are still here and there. Therefore, this day should be a day to renew our commitment to shape wrong attitudes. It creates a unique opportunity to translate the rhetoric into practice and respect women.

As the old adage goes: “women are half the society.” But beyond that, women are everything in the society. Society assured its existence because of women. If women is to afraid all the pain from conception to birth and caring a young, society will not keep existing, does it? But, nature makes them so strong. And these strong part of a society who also are mother of a society should get the right respect, but not in rhetoric. We all should walk the talk.

Women also need to continue the struggle against backward attitudes through their various associations. The good practices attained thus far in this respect can be intensified and used as an instrument to shape the attitude of every segment of the society. In addition, every stakeholder, as has been doing so, need to press ahead with its supports to empower women in all spheres of life.