"After training, I have got behavior change", said farmer Jejaw Assefa

Gender based discriminations in a society have resulted in low social and political participation of women. In order to increase the participation of women, it is important to change the attitude of the society, especially the behavior of men.

Thus, empower women political participation for Enhancing leadership and decision making capacity project is being implemented by ORDA Ethiopia by forming and collaborating with the Alem Berhan Self-Help Community Development Association, with the financial support from the Civil Society Sports Program. It is being implemented in 2 selected woredas (Central Gondar Zone, West Belsa, and East Gojjam Zone, Enebse Sar Madir Woreda).

The project focuses on facilitating training for facilitators in the community to increase the participation of women twice a month. Among the facilitators a farmer, Jajaw Asefa, a resident of Amstya Kebele, West Belsa Woreda is found. According to the training they received from the project, they held discussions twice a month on the 8th and 27th of the month to promote women's decision-making and equality.

Farmer Jejaw told to us what they encountered in their monthly meetings; "In our kebele, husband and wife got divorced. The husband took the wife's land, cattle and all her property and expelled her out of the house. The worst thing was that he burned her cloth on fire. When we heard about it, we met her husband. We convinced her husband through discussion and made her share her land and cattle equally. The woman is now a nun. She is alive, she always thanks us," he said.

"After being trained in the project, I have got behavior change. Before, when my wife asked me for help, I used to say I don't care. But now, when my wife gave birth twice, I was the one who took care of her. I made porridge, washed the blood cloth (which she used during child birth)."

According to farmer Jejaw, now his family has more sympathy, respect and love.