AGE Summit

My girls Itsubdink (left) and Habtamnesh (right)

Last week I attended the second annual AGE (Action for Gender Equality) Summit in Addis Ababa, a 4 day event for volunteers and their students centered around the Women's First 5 km run in Addis and put on by Peace Corps Ethiopia's GAD (Gender and Development) Committee. Peace Corps Volunteers who had completed the most gender activities in their communities were chosen to participate in the summit and choose two students from their sites to bring along. This event brought students together from SNNPR (my region, the South), Oromia, Amhara and Tigray. Students never get the opportunity to interact with students from other regions so that was another terrific aspect of the summit. I chose two 14 year old girls from my gender club who I thought would benefit the most from the event. I wasn't sure how the girls' parents would feel about me taking their daughters away to Addis for a few days, but after sitting down with them they agreed that this was a great opportunity for the girls. Even though I only brought female students, some participants brought males at the request of GAD. When talking about gender inequality it's important to understand that men need to be a part of the conversation and movement towards equality as well. Men play an important role by influencing other men and their female counterparts. Gender equality will never be achieved without both sexes working together.

Ambassador Haslach speaking to the students

The event was held at the Red Cross Center, a training center with plenty of space for outdoor activities, indoor sessions, and the dorm rooms on the compound. On Friday morning we had a visit from the American ambassador to Ethiopia, Patricia M. Haslach. In her speech she discussed the importance of following your dreams and making them happen. She also spoke about the mentors in her life that have helped her achieve all that she has. In a field dominated by men, she explained that confidence can take you far. Not everyone will be pleased to see a woman in such a high leadership position, but that shouldn't stop you. You must know that you are equal to your male colleagues. Obviously her speech didn't just influence the students, but reached me as well.

The two days prior to the race (the race was held on Sunday morning) were filled with sessions about gender equality and empowerment. After the ambassador's visit on Friday, the kids did an activity called "Walk a Kilometer in Her Shoes." This is a relay race where boys have to perform some of the basic chores girls do every day. The boys put on women's shoes and wrapped a ball around their backs with a scarf to represent their "baby." They then had to chop vegetables, fill a bucket of water, carry it across the compound and wash clothes. Throughout the race the girls had to tell them if they were doing something wrong and were cheering them on. The goal of this activity was for the boys to realize how much work their mothers and sisters do. It showed them how difficult it is for girls to study and do their homework when they have so much work to finish at home first. Later, the kids did an activity called "Gender Stadium" where both the females and males talked about their gender roles and how having those roles makes them feel. Other sessions focused on respecting one another's viewpoints, gender based violence, and leadership/mentorship.

A woman from CCL (Center for Creative Leadership) spoke to the participants about mentorship and six successful Ethiopians were invited to do a career panel. The students also got a tour of Addis Ababa University, the most prestigious university in Ethiopia. The tour was followed by another panel with professors and students from the university. The students had lots of questions for all of the guests. Sunday evening we had a keynote speaker, UN HIV/AIDS Ambassador and 2003 Miss World Competitor, Hayat Amhed. She is an incredible role model for these kids and it was a treat having her come to the summit to talk about her life.

Race day was Sunday morning. We all woke before the sun came up and took a bus to the race. We joined a group of over 10,000 women! This was such an incredible experience. All sorts of women were participating, both young and old, big and small, Ethiopian and foreign. It didn't matter what you looked like, everyone was happy and cheering each other on. The energy was amazing. Women were the only ones allowed to participate so the boys stood on the sidelines with posters cheering us on and showing their support. Being a part of this event was one of the best moments I've had in Ethiopia. It was a truly empowering experience. What was even better was seeing our students thriving in this environment. I can't begin to imagine what was going through their minds. None of these girls had ever been to such a huge event. Before the race started we got a performance from the girl group Yegna. Ethiopian Olympic gold medalists Meseret Defar and Haile Gebreselassie blew the horn to start the race. The girls were SO happy. I saw them completely let go and just be free. Us volunteers never see girls this happy and excited in our communities. Most of the time they are quiet and not at all outgoing. At site they fit perfectly into their gender role so to see them at this race, dancing together, laughing as loud as they could and running around was incredible. This is something I will remember forever.

Itsubdink explaining her group's activity to the rest of the participants

That afternoon back at the Red Cross Center we had sessions about sexual harassment and sexual health. Each of us volunteers also got with the students we brought to create an action plan about how to bring the lessons learned throughout the summit back to our communities. We finished the day with a talent show. Before heading off to bed a lot of students had tears as they said their goodbyes.

I had an amazing 4 days and I can't wait to do more gender work with my girls and have them be leaders of our school back in Butajira. I am so proud of them. In just a few days I saw these girls come out of their shells, speak up, and gain so much confidence. I can't wait to see what we do together with the handful of months I have left. 

Extremely proud to have these two as my students

I know I have written about these facts in a previous post, but I thought it would be a good reminder of why the GAD committee and the gender work volunteers are doing

are so important to the development of this country.

These facts come from the World Economic Forum 2013, DHS 2005, Oxfam Ethiopia Country Profile 2013, and UNICEF 2012.

•        Ethiopia ranked 118th out of 136 countries on the 2013 Global Gender Gap Index.

•        Only 18% of Ethiopian women are literate, compared to 42% of men.

•        In Ethiopia, 71% of women have suffered from physical and/or sexual violence in their

             lifetime

•        81% of women agree that wife beating is acceptable for at least one reason.

•        17% of Ethiopian women report that their first instance of sexual intercourse was forced.

•        Only 14% of women are employed outside their family.

•        Women hold only 18.7% of land.

•        The 2011 EDHS found that 12% of women aged 15 – 19 are pregnant or mothers.

•        Fertility rate is 4.8.

•        The maternal mortality rate is 470 (out of 100,000 births).

•        Only 24% of students enrolled in university are female.

•        Ethiopia currently ranks 174th out of 187 countries on the Human Development Index.

            Average incomes are less than half the average for sub-Saharan Africa.

•        8% of women were abducted and forced into marriage.

•        Ethiopia is ranked 76 out of 79 countries on IFPRI’s Global Hunger Index.

•        Only 3.2% of the Ethiopian population is over the age of 65.

•        Female Genital Mutilation (FGM) prevalence by Region

•        Amhara – 68%

•        Oromyia – 87%

•        Tigray – 29%

•        SNNPR – 71%