The Roles and Status of Women in the Holistic Services of the Ethiopian Evangelical Church Mekane Yesus in Three Weredas of Western Wollega Zone
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Date
2007-07
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Addis Ababa University
Abstract
This dissertation is a survey of roles and status of women in the Holistic Services of the Ethiopian Evangelical Church Mekane Yesus (EECMY) in three weredas of Western Wollega Zone (WWZ). In line with her motto of serving the whole person through the holistic approach the EECMY is rendering both spiritual and development related services in the research site: Western Wollega Zone, Aira, Gulliso and Bodji Dirmadji weredas. The research assesses the current roles that women are playing and the status they have in the holistic services of the above mentioned localities. From the three weredas, six congregations and two social service institutions (a Hospital and a Secondary School) were taken as target population. The data used in this research are both qualitative and quantitative. The methods employed to collect the data are conducting focus group discussions, interviews, structured questionnaire, and document review. The qualitative data were analyzed in a descriptive approach and the quantitative data were analyzed statistically and given in percentage. The research findings show that in the Holistic Services which the EECMY is rendering in the three weredas of WWZ, through her units: Birbir Dilla & Western Synods, women are playing significant roles. The finding also indicates that women are gradually breaking into the priesthood ministries and leadership positions of the Church. This is because the issue of women’s roles in the ordained ministry services was initiated in the Western Synod in 1980 and after about twenty years of debates the matter was finally resolved in 1997. Consequently, the Church ordained the first woman on May 16, 2000. However, women are still underrepresented in the managerial positions in some of the selected congregations against the policy of the Church that advocates for 25 %-50 % women’s participation in all decision making bodies of the Church. In this research, the targeted women are playing significant roles in the health services of Lalo Aira Hospital. They cover 49.63 % of the health professionals of the Hospital. However, 100% of the women targeted claim that they face challenges due to double control (100%), under qualification (100%), double burden (91.67%) and lack of ways to defend for their rights (91.67%). In addition they are less represented (27.27%) in the top decision making body (Board) of the Hospital. Women’s role as professionals in Horist Spingies Secondary School is very insignificant (5%). In the grassroots managerial function (Administrative committee of the School) women’s role is invisible. In the school Parent Committee and the School Board, women are also under represented (14.29%). On the contrary, they are taking part in community meetings (30% -40 %) of the School. They are also covering 40 % of the community economic contribution to the School. Though women of the EECMY in the three weredas are active participants in the Holistic Services of the Church, they are represented in the lower statuses
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Gender Studies