International Women's Day

A coffee ceremony was announced at work this morning for 10 o’clock to celebrate International Women’s Day on Sunday. By 11 o’clock we got started. Most people from the curriculum panels were there, it was basically just an opportunity to sit around, talk and eat cake. And talk in Tigrinya. There were about 80 men there, 8 Eritrean women, and me. Apparently they really wanted me to be there as the sole international woman, however no concessions were made. All the speeches were in Tigrinya. When I could eat no more cake I slipped out.

Women’s Day is a big event here. It’s a public holiday unless it happens to fall at the weekend, which is the case this year (no days in lieu either) and it is given a lot of publicity. But a woman’s lot is a mixed one here. Women fought alongside men in the Struggles and do hold some important jobs but this is generally only apparent in Asmara. In the textbook writing there is a gender fair policy which is scrupulously adhered to, yet there is a huge drop-out rate among girls in junior school due to early marriages and being needed to help at home. In spite of being outlawed a couple of years ago FGM is still practised. It is true that these sorts of change, which are rooted in the culture, take time and education to bring about. Unfortunately there are many people who will pay lip service to this spirit of emancipation but who, when pinned down, will defend the old ways as being “the way we have always done things.” As if that has ever been a defence.

We celebrate International Women’s Day here. That’s a good start.

C