Empowering Women: Eritrea’s Achievements and Experiences

Picture Credit (@ Eritrea_UN )

On the occasion of the 59th Session of the Commission on Status of Women Side event, The United Nations Country Team (UNCT) in Eritrea with Collaboration with the National Union OF Eritrean Woman (NUEW) and the permanent mission of Eritrea to the United Nation held a side event on the 16th of March under the theme "Empowering Women: Eritrea’s Achievements and Experience”. The event aimed to highlight Eritrea’s achievements towards gender equality and highlight Eritrea’s post-2015 development agenda and the role of women in its implementation. The event also creates a forum for Eritrea to advocate for support to its economic development and ensure gender equality in all domains.

According to Ms. Christine N. Umutoni, UN Resident Humanitarian Coordinator and UNDP Resident Representative “the CSW event creates a platform for Eritrean women to share their stories and experiences”. Also speaking at the occasion UNFPA representative in Eritrea Mr Dan Odallo said “Eritrea is one of few countries that is on track to meet MDG outcomes for gender programming”.

Women in Eritrea have played a key role in nation building, from their struggle for independence to their current role in promoting gender equality and women empowerment. The National Union of Eritrean Women (NUEW) was established in 1979. In its present form, NUEW is an autonomous non-governmental organization dedicated to improving the status of Eritrean women. The organization’s mission is to ensure that all Eritrean women confidently stand for their rights and equally participate in the political, economic, social and cultural spheres of the country and share the benefits. At its inception, NUEW signalled the start of a new era in which women were empowered to participate in the national building process under the auspices of a national organization. The organization has held six congresses since the first in 1979, each of which has enabled NUEW to forward its mission

and broaden its horizons. Following national independence, NUEW was reformed as a non-governmental organization to carry the struggle for women’s emancipation forward as a separate entity. Over the course of its 35-year history, NUEW has grown as an organization, both in terms of its number of members and its ability to implement its mission. It has 300,444 members and is a truly grass-roots organization with office in six regions, 58 sub regions, and communities. The NUEW also reaches out to Eritrean women in the diaspora to ensure their participation in national programmes. It holds 2,564 elected representatives at different levels. The extensive grassroots presence throughout Eritrea, substantial outreach capacity and organizational structure helped Eritrean women to raise their consciousness and empower themselves. The organizational structure was a key element that helped Eritrea to progressively tackle the MDGs, with extraordinary strides in health and other relevant national development goals.

NUEW PRIORITIES> Ensure gender equality and women’s rights in political, economic and sociocultural spheres >Increase women’s social awareness and knowledge > Endeavour for the active participation of Eritrean women in overall development programmes in such a way that they also benefit from their efforts > Struggle for peace and development > Strengthen the union to make it more efficient and influential, and enable it to win the loyalty and confidence of its members