Eastern Africa advances women's economic participation through policy and digital inclusion
via The Reporter Ethiopia6 min read
Across Eastern Africa, initiatives are underway to enhance women's economic participation, highlighted by Chaltu's experience in Ethiopia, where new land registration laws enabled her to secure formal ownership of her farm. This allowed her to access credit, expand her operations, and employ 30 women. Her story reflects broader changes, with a significant majority of land certificates in Ethiopia now including women's names. These efforts align with discussions at the 15th Meeting of the COMESA Technical Committee on Gender and Women’s Affairs in Addis Ababa, focusing on leveraging digitalization to deepen regional value chains. The meeting, which includes officials and ministers from across Eastern and Southern Africa, addresses policy coordination, digital inclusion, and strategies to improve women’s access to economic opportunities. COMESA's gender policy, adopted in 2016, and its Women’s Economic Empowerment Strategy aim to translate policy into practical interventions, focusing on financial inclusion and supporting women in cross-border trade. Tsige Tadele, a senior gender mainstreaming officer at the COMESA Secretariat, noted the establishment of "trade information desks" at border points to assist women traders. Ethiopia's State Minister for Women and Social Affairs, Hikima Keyeradin, emphasized aligning national policies with regional frameworks and using digital systems like the Fayda national digital identification program and the Mesob platform to expand access to
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This summary was AI-generated from a story originally published by The Reporter Ethiopia.
Must ReadProfessor Merera Gudina, Chairman of the Oromo Federalist Congress OFC and a founding architect of the Medrek coalition, offers a critical assessment of Ethiopia's upcoming seventh National Election on June 1, 2026. He argues that the election is unlikely to establish a democratic system or lasting peace, citing ongoing conflicts in Oromia and Amhara, the exclusion of Tigray, and a narrowing political space. Gudina highlights that Ethiopia has failed to achieve lasting peace, democracy, or meaningful economic development over the past 50 years, with wealth being diverted to conflicts. The OFC, despite its concerns about the political environment, will participate only in select areas of Addis Ababa/Finfinne, acknowledging that current laws prevent a full boycott. Gudina criticizes the National Election Board of Ethiopia’s NEBE “traffic light” security map, particularly the “Green” designations for areas where OFC members still face dangers. He notes that the government's assertions about conducive conditions for elections do not reflect the reality on the ground, citing persistent insecurity and alleged mafia-like activities in regions like Oromia. Gudina suggests that the government appears more focused on suppressing opposition than promoting democratic processes. He also discusses the relationship between the federal government and Tigray forces, stating that Tigray has achieved de facto independence and that there is a lack of sincere effort to resolve underlying problems
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Ethiopia's official creditors committee OCC reports that the country has not yet finalized restructuring agreements with bondholders and commercial creditors that meet its comparability of treatment CoT requirements. The committee, co-chaired by China and France, rejected an agreement in principle reached in January between the Ethiopian government and holders of its one billion dollar Eurobond, citing concerns about fairness to other creditors. This rejected agreement included a 15 percent haircut, a new USD 850 million bond maturing in 2029, and a USD 350 million principal repayment due in July 2026. While negotiations with bondholders are ongoing, an agreement in principle has been reached with one large commercial creditor that is assessed as meeting CoT. The report, presented at the IMF-World Bank Spring Meetings, notes that Ethiopia, Ghana, and Zambia are pursuing debt treatment under the G-20 Common Framework. Ethiopia's credit rating remains in default after the government failed to service a USD 33 million coupon in December 2023. Finance Minister Ahmed Shide attended the Spring Meetings, providing updates on Ethiopia’s debt restructuring and calling for continued engagement from creditors and support from international financial institutions.
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