Since winning its independence three decades ago, some of Eritrea’s leading priorities have been advancing gender equality, empowering women and girls, and promoting and protecting their human rights. The country’s National Charter, which was adopted in 1994 and lays out the guiding vision and broad aspirations for the nation, declares that, “A society that does not respect the rights and equality of women cannot be truly liberated.”
Alongside committing to numerous regional and global human and gender rights instruments, such as the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, the International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights, the Convention on the Rights of the Child, the African Charter of Human and People’s Rights (the Banjul Charter), and the African Charter on the Rights and Welfare of the Child, Eritrea has signed and ratified the United Nations Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination Against Women, which sets international standards for eliminating gender discrimination. The country has also actively participated at international conferences and gatherings on women, such as the Fourth World Conference on Women in Beijing and the United Nations Commission on the Status of Women, which have been key catalysts to move the agenda forward on gender equality, the empowerment of women and girls, and gender rights.
Importantly, Eritrea has established relevant institutional and policy frameworks, as well as detailed gender action plans, for achieving gender equality and women’s empowerment, with a particular focus on reaching the most vulnerable and marginalized, in line with international, regional, and national gender equality standards and obligations. They are guaranteed a similar share of representation within the legal system, with reference to community courts.
Recognizing the differing life conditions and experiences of women and girls, and seeking to redress past inequities and historical disadvantages or discrimination, Eritrea has additionally enacted and implemented a range of progressive and affirmative action measures, most notably within the spheres of education, employment, and public life. In a short period of time these have helped to increase equal opportunity and women’s participation and representation in civil, cultural, economic, political, and social life. Strong national proclamations on labour, citizenship, and land reform have also been established and enforced, in the process guaranteeing women equal access to citizenship and allowing them the opportunity to access and utilize land without discrimination.
Moreover, national laws and firm enforcement measures exist to protect women from various forms of violence and also prohibit harmful, traditional practices, such as female genital mutilation/cutting (FGM/C), child or under-age marriage, bride price, and dowries. Collectively, these measures are having a far-reaching impact and positively transforming lives. For instance, local studies conducted by the Ministry of Health, the Ministry of Labor and Social Welfare (MLSW) and the National Union of Eritrean Women (NUEW) have offered compelling evidence that the prevalence of FGM/C has been significantly reduced in recent years.
With the comprehensive backing and cooperation of the government, a number of organizations, including the NUEW and the Eritrean Women’s Agribusiness Association, also conduct nationwide programs and initiatives to assist poor or disadvantaged women’s economic activities, strengthen livelihoods, improve access to finance and basic services, such as education, housing, and health, mobilize against violence and harmful, traditional practices, and help ensure that women’s specific needs, concerns, and perspectives are taken into account and addressed.
Over the years, noteworthy achievements have been recorded in the areas of women’s health, education, and participation in civil, cultural, economic, political, and social life. Long-standing gender disparities in education continue to be narrowed across all levels, a growing percentage of women now have land and are highly active in agriculture or other activities, and women constitute about 50 percent of the country’s estimated labour force. In addition to their primary responsibility of family care, food processing and preparation, along with community activities, women contribute significantly to crop production and subsistence farming, while also being highly prominent and influential within a range of sectors.
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