Success story in Gender equality (at HH level)

By Abebu Dessalegn (Gender Officer)

ORDA and FHE/SFCG together with women youth and child office (WYCO) by the support of USAID work to assure permanent gender equality and implementing different gender transferring messages like image box, video documentary screening, theater showing, comic books distribution, demonstration at division of labour and experience sharing. From the above tequniques the success stories of Ato AZEZEW ALEMU & his wife W/RO AREGASH ASEFA living in gazgibla woreda of zarota kebele (018) manly focuses on the achievements gained after the dialogue by image box and video documentary screening.

Ato Azezew is married and 67 years old with 4 children (3-F). And lives in Gazgibella woreda,Zarota Kebele of ‘Nigus Aleqa’ village. This is far from sekota about 25 kilometers.
He is graduated from PSNP program before one year and joined as a member of Gender community dialogue (GCD) group members in November 2014. 

Situations before joining the project: 

As he, described the situation before he joined DFAP program of image box dialogues target group, ‘’My attitude on women and men equality and equity is imbalance and was very low and it was depend on culturally social division of labor“ since, the only me was the owner of the house hold leader and decision maker in almost all assets and planning of life activities throughout the past years, He supports his family for food from small plot of land by harvesting bean and wheat. Although he can feed his family in the manner of local community their quality of life was very poor due to the inequality of husband and wife in house hold administration and decision making. becoming member of image box discussion and capacity building trainings, w/ro Aregash said in harvesting seasons I always take my part to help my husband in the farm land. Whereas when we came back to home, my husband sleeps to take nap. But I start working of home tasks like baking injera and cooking wot and caring for children. All this burden and inequality made me always anger. Not only this, I was not participating in decision making to sell our common property. Once my mother died and I travel to a village. He sold one oxe without sharing any information for his personal benefit. I really cried so much for I had no any right to decide on my property. Ato Azezewu also adds that” Our child goes to school after we harvest the yield that is on November and December.”

Change after the program:

After dialogue by image box discussion conducted in my villege called Nigus Aleqa through target and public groups by ORDA/SFCG, I got detail Knowledge for about gender role and its HTPs (harmful traditional practices) between women and men. During this time was I promised to myself by saying “why not I try to baking enjera, cooking wot and coffee to my families” what is the problem to do this? Then, I tried to practice it in the house by help of my wife to have experience for more than two months. My wife also was happy to teach me. Therefore, now a time as you seen me, if my wife is live in the house or not I can do baking enjera, cooking wot and coffee and I can make local beer all which was I said, this is only for females job/work not given for males. But now, I am too happy by doing and braking that backward attitude/thinking and can feed me and my wife & children by baking enjera, cooking wot and coffee without afrieding of my Nabors and sex discrimination. 

Figure 1 Ato Azezewu baking enjera and preparing coffee

But now, starting from September and keep their animals by shift in agreement. The children are now good in their school performance due to their family attitudinal change. Now, so do the children participating in house hold issues decision making.

Ato azezew and his family now have started influencing positively their neighbor in life experience. There was one family always disagree between husband and wife in task sharing and exploiters of their children in work. Ato azezew tried to be socialized with them to talk on their family situation. Gradually, this family is now changed attitudinally.

Due to these practices now we can lead our life together with love in the house and out of the house through decision making equally by understanding and identifying of which idea is best useful for our house income benefit. 

Change observed:

He has an interesting attitudinal changes on gender role based culturally social division of labor and he coots ‘feed yourself without afrieding’ and he has amazing experience of baking enjera, cooking wot, prepare coffee and preparing local beer for his agricultural production harvesting. During this time his wife Aregash was participating meeting at Gazgibla woreda level women affaire meeting. After finishing of the meeting, she was come back to her house, at that time every necessary seasonal activity was accomplished as mainlined above by her husband. She was very happy and giving high respect to him and she gives Thanking to you and ORDA. 

Major problems encountered: 

When I have baking ABSHILO this is preparing local beer some person was laugh and show to me scorn/ fraught with b/se there is not doing by men in the society. Solution sought: Despite hearing them I tried to teach the use of gender equality for my neboughers and the result of participating women’s in every activities in addition the result& peace the family gained comparing from the former/past. 

Future plan: - Ato Azezew family need to fight against gender inequality in their locality every activity in the house/outside the house will accomplish without selecting and giving priority respect to himself like, his wife doing. Accordingly, he will teach others as role model of his Nabors. 

Lesson learnt and Recommendation: To efficiently transmit gender massages selecting GCD (gender community dialogue) and preparing inspiring stories in their surrounding like video documentary is a vital and role model to address gender messages in the community and easily accepted.

Recommendations: All village community should have done as Ato Azezewu. So, to do this and for sustainability need conduct another session of image box dialogue box target and public groups by ORDA/SFCG with collaboration of Government.