A Legacy of Powerful Queens and Modern-Era Barriers to Women in Politics

Ethiopia presents a fascinating paradox. Its history boasts a remarkable lineage of mighty queens, exemplified by the visionary leadership of Empress Taytu in securing victory at the battle of Adwa against Italian colonizers. The story of Queen of Sheba and Empress Zewditu further paints a positive history of women as leaders in Ethiopia. Yet, despite this legacy, deep-seated cultural norms and religious beliefs often confine women to domestic roles. This, compounded by the prevalent issue of gender-based violence, creates a formidable barrier to women’s entry and advancement in the political sphere.

While Ethiopia holds a commendable position globally for women’s parliamentary representation, exceeding 40%, a closer look reveals a concerning reality. These seats are primarily filled through quotas rather than a robust system fostering organic advancement based on merit and capability. This crucial distinction exposes a fundamental flaw—quotas, while well-intentioned, often serve as a band-aid solution, failing to address the root causes of women’s underrepresentation. This approach ultimately limits women’s ability to exert genuine influence on policy formulation and decision-making processes.

EBR’s Iliyas Kifle delves into how these entrenched hurdles can be overcome. He proposes initiatives that tackle the immediate symptoms and the underlying factors perpetuating the issue.

Dr lia Tadesse’s Ministerial Legacy

A recent development has seen Dr Lia Tadesse, who has been the minister of Health for the past four years, replaced by Dr Mekedes Daba. This transition comes at a crucial moment in Ethiopia’s health system history. The past four years have seen the health system suffer from the COVID-19 pandemic and the destruction of many health facilities due to ongoing wars in different regions of the country. In what was a difficult time for the Ministry, Dr Lia’s leadership has been applauded by many. While there have been many positive strides from her tenure, there are still questions that remain unanswered. EBR’s Dr Brook Genene closely investigates the problems within the Ethiopian health system and the role the women in the leadership roles have played in navigating them.