Awareness Raising

Capacity Building

Raising people’s awareness on women’s rights contributes to limiting the power of gender misconceptions that prevent women from fully participating in the social, professional and public life and deprives them of their full citizenship.

To Raise awareness about women rights, NEWA has executed a number of activities: conducted national assessment for Gneder development index (GDI), Delivered awareness raising trainings for law enforcement bodies on women land right, Conducted consultation meeting on GTP3 With stakeholders where a policy paper was developed organized, discussed and policy paper developed. Radio programs on relevant topics have been aired while a media campaign that focuses on women’s political participation and leadership has been conducted.

Conduct National assessment for gender Development Index (GDI):

NEWA produced National Gender Development Index that will be used as an instrument to measure the progresses made in promoting gender equality and women’s empowerment. The index will enable to show national gender development status which indicates to what extent Ethiopia has advanced gender equality, reduced/addressed the gender gaps, and the status of women’s empowerment in accordance with the national and international commitments. In addition, based on the produced index, it is planned to produce an assessment report that will provide Ethiopian Government and civil society actors with current data on the status of gender equality and gender gaps indicators. Accordingly, the work of producing the index as well as the current status of gender equality advancement in Ethiopia by using the index is underway and progressing well. NEWA has organized a meeting on December 25, 2020, for the presentation of the inception report of the GDI to relevant stakeholders, notably to the Technical Advisory Group established by MoWCY and NEWA, and to participants from relevant government organizations and CSOs. Hence, the participants have reviewed the inception report and provided comments and inputs that aimed to make the index, standard, credible, and important.

Awareness of Law Enforcement Bodies on Women Land Right

Awareness of law enforcement bodies on women land rights was conducted in TuluBolo selected form (TuluBolo, Keta, Deka Guda, Soyoma and Awash Bune)

The law enforcement bodies are the police force and the court office personnel who defend the women from the threat on their rights to use rural land. We have selected 15 police force personnel from the project areas. The participants are attorney and judges from the court house and police force from the wereda police office. The participants got awareness on the women land rights use.
Here, a very intensive discussion was made especially the court office personnel who commented that there are several cases of women land rights violation by male partners, at times of marriage dissolution, spouse death, polygamy, and mischief in certification process. In such cases, the women taking the case to court have several problems and lack the finance to appeal to higher court and so they lose their rights

Gender disaggregated data produced and disseminated to relevant stakeholders:

One of the priority strategies that NEWA has been implementing towards achieving the objective of promoting gender equality and women’s empowerment is producing research based and updated gender disaggregated data that are showing women’s economic, social, political and legal status. The existence of an updated and research based data in the above areas is believed to be an important instrument for NEWA and other women’s organizations to undertake evidence based advocacy and interventions towards promoting women’s rights. The production of gender disaggregated data would also enable NEWA, other CSOs, government as well as development partners to have better focus and prioritization in their planning and interventions towards addressing women’s pressing challenges. In addition, the data is an important instrument to serve as a bench mark for tracking changes and to measure progresses.

Moreover, the production of gender disaggregated data is also be an important starting step towards one of NEWA’s objectives of becoming a center of excellence and hence to serve as a source of data and a hub for gender related data and information.

Accordingly, NEWA has produced a gender disaggregated data which the draft document is already finalized and will be validated by relevant stakeholders in March, 2021.

Consultation meeting on GTP3 with stakeholders organized, discussed and policy paper developed

A Perspective Plan is a long term written document supported by necessary maps and diagrams providing the state government the goals, policies, strategies. The gender perspective looks at the impact of gender on people’s opportunities, social roles and interactions. Gender is an integral component of every aspect of the economic, social, daily and private lives of individuals and societies, and of the different roles ascribed by society to men and women.

To ensure the inclusiveness gender sensitive issues and that the perspective plan is gender responsive NEWA has been selected by government to take the lead in assessing the gaps of ten years perspective plan and consult concerned stakeholders for validation.

Strengthening networking and documentation of NEWA and selected members as per the needs assessment findings

As per the identified gaps and needs, some member women organization were supported to have better documentation and networking. Some member organization started to prepare and publish organizational booklet. Data collection and content development completed and finalized for supporting the publication of booklet. Some other women organization supported financially to prepare documentary film production and finalized the collection of data through interview. In line with this, technical support provided for all partner women organization on how to prepare success stories and narrative reports. As a result, they were able to show their major achievements, results and explore learnings.

Visibility of NEWA and its members by updating their website, social Medias, visibility and promotional materials (Brochures, newsletters, posters,) strengthened

To improve the visibility of NEWA and to share it learnings and achievements the already existing website has been developed and updated. Periodically, our organization has shown better improvement in exploring learnings and share its achievements. In return member organization could get better experience from NEWA program implementation and as a result women organizations improved efficiency & effectiveness of in achieving their objectives. Success stories on women land right, economic empowerment and gender equality prepared and posted on the website.

Brochures and leaflets have been prepared and disseminated to member women organization and other concerned stakeholders. In the content major issues like gender equality, result of COVID-19 assessment and related response, GBV, Gender development Index, policy brief on ten years perspective plan, the Beijing Declaration and Platform for Action have been addressed and communicated as a learning.

As a result of preparing different IEC materials and share to stakeholders helps to improve NEWA’s visibility and increased its credibility.

VOTERS EDUCATION

Media air time on radio to host different programs in related to this subject (EWDNA)

The radio program was planned to run for 9 weeks in FM 101.1 at Addis Ababa with a 200km radius reach and at SNNPR Starting from 10/10/2020 on FM 100.9 for 8 weeks every Saturday from 8-9 local time.
In Addis Ababa the radio program has been aired for 9 weeks and that of SNNPR for 8 weeks. In Addis, it was every Thursday for an hour from 2:00-3:00 local time at night. The General Manager of EWDNA, Ms. Dibabe Bacha has given her interview on the overall objective of the program and also the importance of participating women with disabilities in different socio-economic activities.
An interview with a physiologist and special needs teacher from Addis Ababa University has run for three weeks. The major topic was how to increase the number of women with disabilities in leadership, what is expected from duty bearers and right holders.

Radio Program on women’s with disabilities political participation

At the initial stage TOR was developed and advertisement made for call of expression of interest. After reviewing the proposal submitted by competitors the procurement committee analyzed and identified the winner. Based on the analysis Bisrat radio became a winner and eligible for the transmission. The radio program was planned to run for 9 week in FM 101.1 at Addis Abeba with 200km radius reach and at SNNPR Starting from 10/10/2020 on FM 100.9 for 8 weeks every Saturday from 8-9 local time. In Addis Abeba the radio program has been aired for 9 weeks and that of SNNPR for 8 weeks. In Addis it was every Thursday for an hour from 2:00-3:00 local time at night. The major topic was how to increase number of women with disabilities in leadership, what is expected from duty bearers and right holders.

SNNPR radio was also airing the program. Based on the information from the journalist who host the program there were so many phone calls, text messages asking about EWDNA and its work, how to become a member of EWDNA, how to go to election centers, etc.
4000 targets audiences were able to participate actively in radio question and answer program through texts, phone call and this methodology helped to ensure that the radio program is raising the level of awareness and bringing positive changes on the attitude of audiences. Moreover; professional interviews was conducted to enrich the program.
According to Bisrat FM media assessment (done every 6 month) the radio is estimated to have 4.5 million audiences. To check how many people are following EWDNA’s program there were question that need audience participation for consecutive 3 weeks and there were between 1200 to 5000 text messages as answers for questions and feedback.

Media campaign on women’s political participation and leadership (Fana Broadcasting)

To enhance electoral arrangements suitable for women’s political participation and leadership media campaign Undertaken. This activity will help to encourage women to take part in politics and leadership.
Before attending the radio program, check list and bench marks was prepared and.CD of the radio program brought from FAN broad cast Agency. The radio program was transmitted in five rounds and the duration for one round is 1:25 (one hour & twenty five minutes)
Global, regional and national over view on women political participation was presented by invited guest from Addis Ababa University. At international level women political participation started after the end of second World War.At national level in the regime of Emperor Hailesilassie there were only two women representatives in the house of people representatives, in the ‘Derg’ Regime out of 875 Shengo seats there were only fourteen women representatives and the current status has shown that women participation accounts 38%.
There were invited political parties represented from EZEMA, Abin and Prosperity political parties and shared their opinion and elaborated their manifesto in relation to women participation.
The other major issue aired by the radio program was disability and Young Women there were invited guests from EWDNA, Ethiopia Youth Federation, and Association of hearing impairment
In the panel discussion several issues have been addressed some of them mentioned hereunder:

The defining of Election
Process of political leadership(In America & Ethiopia context)
Background information on disability and young women in political participation & election
In accessibility of infrastructure and media for disability
Absence of tactile materials
17.6% of the world population are disable
20,000,000 (Twenty Million) of Ethiopian people are disable
5,000,000 (Five million) of Ethiopian people are disable with hearing impairment
Absence of seats in house of people representative for disability

Role of media are some of pertinent issue that have been addressed in the panel discussion. Moreover; it is expressed in the discussion that women participation in political participation in urban areas is promising but in rural areas it is not satisfactory and needs additional effort.

Publication of IEC materials

Banners, posters, brochures and T-shirt context specific march 8 and 16 days GBVC activism messages produced, printed. Posters, Brochures and T-shirt were distributed to different governmental and non-governmental organization for International Women’s Day and 16 days GBVC.

According to Bisrat FM media assessment (done every 6 months), the radio is estimated to have 4.5 million audiences. To check how many people are following EWDNA’s program there was the question that needs audience participation for consecutive 3 weeks and there were between 1200 to 5000 text messages as answers for questions and feedback.
In SNNPR program the coverage was all SNNPR, 60% of Oromia, and all of Addis Ababa. Debube radio has 11 FM links to increase its coverage area, which means 11 FM radios who has a link with SNNPR radio were airing the program. Based on the information from the journalist who hosts the program there were so many phone calls, text messages asking about EWDNA and its work, how to become a member of EWDNA, how to go to election centers, etc.

Awareness raising program with activists and bloggers

As to enhance women’s political participation of women, media were invited on Awareness Raising and Sensitization Workshop on Women’s Political Participation. Thus, 34 participants (17 women) attended the workshop. In addition to representatives of bloggers, electronic and print media, participants from CSOs also took actively part on the workshop.

Presentation was made on Women’s participation in politics based on findings of a study conducted in this area. Participants also reflected on the presentation, forwarded questions, shared their experiences and recommended actions to be taken for effective collaboration among media, CSOs and other appropriate actors. Ms. Elshaday Kifle PHD Candidate, Lecturer at Addis Ababa University, Centre of Human Rights moderated the discussion skilfully so that important inputs from different views of participants were received.

Among crucial points forwarded during the discussion, some are:

Importance of politicizing women’s issues as core political agendas along with role of media in highlighting women’s issues,
Power of women as voters who constitute majority of Ethiopian population,
Genuine gender mainstreaming in media, particularly in government media so that women’s programs will not be compromised during overlapping of programs and due to lack of budget,
Creativity in production and transmission of women’s programs,
Detecting reasons for women’s fear of media and involvement in politics,
Focus on the young generation to encourage women to use media to present their potential.

Preparation and contextualization of voter education materials

Voter’s education manual has prepared in brail and audio-visual material to be accessible for the women with a disability to be used by EWDNA branch offices and in the coffee discussion with the branches.