The miracle of South Korea is an earth breaking economic phenomenon witnessed over the past half-century. Before stepping into the miracle story of the Han River, we need to bow to the man who made the impossible possible, Park Chung Hee. This is the man who led the foundation of the miracle by seizing power through the orchestration of the May 16, 1961 military coup in Seoul. At that moment, Korea was one of the poorest countries globally by pure virtue of registering a per capita income of just USD79. In 1963, Park won the democratic election and extended his leadership for four election periods until he was assassinated 13 years later.

There have been notable recent strides in Ethiopia with regards to the political participation of women. A gender balanced cabinet as well as the appointment of the first woman president has shifted the narrative on political participation and presented a ‘new normal’ where young girls can now view high-level political positions as achievable. These are all noteworthy progresses that have resulted from the current administration and deserve applause. However, given that inequality in political spaces is systemically entrenched, the progressive strides require structural enablers for sustainable equality to take root in an institutionalized manner.