Assessment of Women Empowerment to Political Decision-making: A case of House of Peoples Representatives of Ethiopia
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Date
2020-07
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A.A.U
Abstract
The study assesses the role of women’s empowerment in political decision-making process in HoPRs. Concurrent mixed methods involving quantitative and qualitative approaches employed to collect primary data from 139 sample Parliamentarians using questionnaire and 15 informants through interview guide, respectively. Secondary data were also generated from various published and unpublished documents using documentary analysis template. Quantitative data analysis methods used to analyze quantitative data. Thematic and content analyses techniques employed to analyze primary qualitative data and secondary data. Findings reveal more than half of respondents expressed their agreement to introduced quota system importance to secure seats in HoPRs which had enabled to influence on decision-making. There were statistically significant and positive relationships between Parliamentarians’ political participation and adopting five women-sensitive laws. Parliamentarians confirmed that they had had meaningful influence on the decision-making process in the House. Contrarily; frequently changing, unfavourable, meaningless political set up and structure, and lack of political leaders’ commitment to change women’s attitude towards politics, culture, and religion in politically-friendly ways found influencing their political participation. Inhibitions were pervasive political party’s structural factors at different levels, gender stereotypes and traditions, gaps in women’s political and economic empowerment, multi-dimensional socio-economic barriers, and lack of strong women’s political leadership and meaningful influence in gendered mainstreamed manner. However, number of women’s empowerment opportunities existed. Parliamentarians encountered challenges like attitudinal problem, lack of economic capacity, lack of knowledge, and cultural influence. It concludes there is moderate level of influence of women’s empowerment on political decision-making process in the Ethiopian Parliament.
Description
A Thesis Submitted to Department Of Public Administration and Development Management, College of Business and Economics, Addis Ababa University for the Partial Fulfilment of the Requirements for the Degree of Master of Arts in Public Administration
Keywords
Women Empowerment, Political Decision-making