Gender and Development Program

What constitutes a real challenge is the condition of women in our society, a fundamentally patriarchal society, in which some cultural and social factors are relegating women to the condition of second- class citizens.  Many are the aspects of this lack of appreciation for their condition.  Among them, some can be mentioned: the practice of female genital mutilation, the imposed marriage, the trafficking of young girls inside and outside the country, and the marginalization of widows.  All this is a challenge to basic justice and a source of concern for the Church as we expresses in our past Pastoral Letters”              (The Church we want to be, No.43) 

Situational Analysis

Gender state of women in given society compared with that of men is  measured in terms of access to and attainment of  educational, opportunity to employment and remuneration, occupational type, access to services and benefits, access to and control over resources  opportunities to participate in decision making and politics. In general, it indicates the position of women in a society to enjoy certain privileges, rights, roles, and power.

Since Ethiopia is predominantly an agricultural country, land is the principal means of production. Hence access to and control over land has a critical impact on a family’s socio-economic status, particularly in rural Ethiopia, where 84% of the population lives (CSA 2006). By custom, the inheritance of property including land was biased against women.

The traditional division of labor in many Ethiopian households is far from equitable, burdening women much more than men. Though some changes have began to occur, particularly in urban Ethiopia, nearly all household duties still fall on the wife and daughters including the maid.
 

Involvement of Ethiopian Catholic Church in Women in Development and Gender and Development (WID/GAD)

Ethiopian Catholic Church, as a church, is part of the society that it exists within; and assists all human beings with their spiritual, social, development needs. “The church is not purely spiritual and invisible. It is also a fully human and visible community”. (Pastoral letter of the assembly of Catholic Bishops of Ethiopia; The church we want to be)  

Overall Goal and Objectives of Gender and Development Program

Overall goal

The goal of gender and development program is to ensure that gender equality and equity are adequately addressed in the socio- pastoral service and development program of ECC.

Objective

The objective of gender and development program is to ensure effective and sustainable gender program of ECS and DCSs to contribute to the socio-pastoral and development activities of the Church.

Steps taken towards strengthening ECC Gender and Development program  

•  The ECC has taken on board the development of a policy, to articulate the vision in promoting gender equality. Through this policy, the ECC spells out the changes that need to take place in order to achieve gender equality in all its programs, practices, declarations and structures.

• Gender strategic options were identified in collaboration with the Diocesan Catholic Secretariats and incorporated into the first phase( 2001 -2005) and second phase  (2007 – 2011)strategic planning
• All the ten Diocesan Secretariats have gender programs and gender focal persons
• A guideline for mainstreaming gender into multi-sectoral programs/projects at ECC was developed, and orientation on gender concepts and analytical framework provided to staff
• Training on gender and gender mainstreaming have been given to ECC personnel at different levels
• Women promotion centers have been strengthened and assisted to change from stereotype activities to income generating activities
•  Different training such us Harmful Traditional Practices, Human and women’s right has been conducted to change the perception of the communities perception regarding gender relations
• Training on key gender themes such as Violence against women, Harmful Traditional practices, Women’s access to resources at household level, Skills Training, human right and women’s right, women and justice and gender and organizational development was provided to ECC staff working on different programs/projects and with and for community
• A study was undertaken in over 45% of the existing WPCto assess their WID strategies and address economic empowerment of destitute girls and women.  An implementation strategy was developed to rectify the stereotype approach and to bring gradual transformation.
• Income generating activities have been undertaken in different grass root level
• ECS-DCSs Joint program approaches have brought about a uniform understanding and strategy to the gender program of the Catholic Church

Challenges encountered

1. Shortage of resources to  address the wide spread gender issues at each dioceses level
2. Lack of appropriate knowledge of gender issues among ECS staff to mainstream gender in programs/projects

The way forward

• Mainstreaming gender at ECC organizational and programmatic level
• Consecutive training on gender mainstreaming to all ECC staff at each level
• Familiarizing and ensuring the implementation of ECC gender policy at each level
• Continue to raise awareness on key gender themes such as Violence against women, Harmful Traditional practices, human and women’s right at community level to change the perception their perception on these issues
• Continue the process of transforming the WPCs from serotype to market –oriented skills empowerment for girls and women.  Introduction new skills training the direction of reducing women’s drudgery, and promotion of income generation at household level
• Seek traditional and new partners’ support for poverty alleviation in destitute women and men

Address: 

                        Ethiopian Catholic Secretariat
                        P.O.Box 2454
                        Addis Ababa, Ethiopia
                        Tel:  (251) 111 55 03 00
                        Fax: (251) 111 55 31 13
                        e-mail: ecs@ethionet.et

This page was last updated on 10/10/2009