This thesis is a critical review of educated women’s leadership in their emancipation in
Ethiopia. Did they provide leadership and to what extent? It is to be noted that educated
women’s leadership has been of great importance to women’s emancipation worldwide.
Strong leadership was also the driving force behind women’s movements and feminism
everywhere. However, the role of educated women in Ethiopia is hard to discern and their
leadership efforts are largely invisible. On the other hand, many among the educated also lack
the passion and desire to commit themselves in the fight for women’s emancipation.
In this thesis I researched the settings and frameworks of women’s leadership and discussed
the factors that function as limitations and/or opportunities. Overall there were more
limitations than opportunities. These limitations are often historically rooted in the country’s
religious, cultural, economic, political and traditional systems. And, as much as history and
religion can be a source of strength and pride for many, they can also be a serious obstacle.
The political regime of the Derg also scarred an entire population to the extent that despite
the currently proclaimed ‘freedom’ of the EPRDF ruling party, women remain reluctant to
step forward and claim their rights.
The ruling party appears to appropriate women’s emancipation as a “private” interest and to
use it for political gain, in the same manner as the Derg regime had done before it. Nowhere
is there any sign of genuine freedom and equality for women in practice. Rhetoric reigns
supreme through laws and policy documents, but they are not matched by genuine actions
and concrete strategies. The traditional religious base of society is also making it more
difficult to challenge autocratic tendencies of the ruling elite. The effect is that civil society is
slowly being pushed to extinction, leaving the ruling party in charge as the main actor in all
public services. This has serious consequences for the genuine emancipation of women in the
country.
The thesis finds that women’s leadership is not a luxury or personal demand, but a crucial
step for the development of the country at large. It is encouraging to note that there are
different sections of active women in the country waiting for strong leadership, leadership
that can unite them into a movement and guide them on their unique emancipation paths.
After all, it is only women themselves who, with their existing epistemic advantage, can
transform their situation and change their status. / Sociology / D.Litt. et Phil. (Sociology)
| Identifer | oai:union.ndltd.org:netd.ac.za/oai:union.ndltd.org:unisa/oai:umkn-dsp01.int.unisa.ac.za:10500/5538 |
| Date | 02 1900 |
| Creators | Biseswar Indrawatie |
| Contributors | Zegeye, Abebe |
| Source Sets | South African National ETD Portal |
| Language | English |
| Detected Language | English |
| Type | Thesis |
| Format | 1 online resource (268 p.) |
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