Sunday with Eden | Jan 03,2021
Sep 24 , 2018
By Hanna Haile
Hanna Haile (hannahaile212@gmail.com) is an Ethiopian writer and social worker. She is one of the organizers of Poetic Saturdays at Fendika Cultural Centre in Addis Abeba and at Terara Bar & Kitchen in Hawassa, where a stage is open to those who celebrate art through performances on the first and second Saturday of each month.
A social media frenzy has been on full blast this past week. It involved a claim by the Office of the Prime Minister’s press secretary, Billene Seyoum, not to be referred to with the titles weizerit or weizero.
The former means “Miss” while the latter means “Mrs.” The issue dominated topics over mediums frequented by Ethiopians such as Twitter and Facebook and conversations over coffee and beer.
It was overwhelming to see how enraged people have become at this. While such decisions may not have been made to create public discourse or outrage, they seem to have done just that regardless.
The outrage was uncalled for and retaliatory. If indeed the press secretary made the statement, it was a personal preference, an isolated stand that may inspire others who feel the same. In a communal country like ours that prides itself on mass solidarity and tradition, the fact that someone chooses to do what makes sense to them is inspiring.
Strong positions and opinions by a minority will do plenty to make one feel out of place. And it is in standing one’s ground on issues that matter to us and by validating our own voice that change will come.
If some of us were under the impression that having women - or groups previously underrepresented - in key leadership positions was going to reaffirm the status quo, then we are in for a surprise. Women challenge tradition every day. Of course, when they want to use their own voices as public figures, the backlash is heavy.
I have worked with all types of women coming from all walks of life on topics ranging from early marriage to women with disabilities that make a living in red light districts. Each time I have discussed these incidences, there has always been someone letting me know that I am working for the wrong type of woman, defending a less worthy cause. The kind of backlash that has stormed the title issues is about the gatekeepers of cultural change.
We cannot debate whether one made the right decision or not, but this was their decision to make. One can make this out to be an Ethiopian feminist issue, but the issue is not that one chooses to be referred to as weizero or weizerit, it is that this is a choice. This is the culture people are against when debating this issue.
Making a decision to use any preferred title and rejecting a cultural practice that does not suit their life ought to be a right.
Sendu Gebru, the first woman in parliament, stood for the dignity of Ethiopian women in a hall dominated by men. And in that time, she had many critics while today she is revered. Little is accomplished by conforming but by speaking up and refusing to apologise for the positions we take. And in time, the public will be able to talk about it without the need to feel emotional or threatened.
Yet today is not that day. Today is the day when those that have been represented are berated for any cause that they uphold. When it comes to women, labels like “Sheraton feminism” are thrown around to put down those that are working toward equality of any kind.
When harassment and rape are discussed, the masses answer “not all men.” When one dares to air a personal preference, the masses scream “not our culture.”
Indeed, the dynamics might have changed, but the principle has stayed the same. The day will come when women’s opinions can be looked at as steps to contribute for our collective good and not seen as a selfish assault on culture and norms. The day when we do not need to grade women’s traumas to deserve justice is the day I am awaiting.
PUBLISHED ON
Sep 24,2018 [ VOL
19 , NO
971]
My Opinion | 112435 Views | Aug 14,2021
My Opinion | 108665 Views | Aug 21,2021
My Opinion | 107681 Views | Sep 10,2021
My Opinion | 105476 Views | Aug 07,2021
Aug 18 , 2024 . By AKSAH ITALO
Although predictable Yonas Zerihun's job in the ride-hailing service is not immune to...
Jul 13 , 2024 . By AKSAH ITALO
Investors who rely on tractors, trucks, and field vehicles for commuting, transportin...
Jul 13 , 2024 . By MUNIR SHEMSU
The cracks in Ethiopia's higher education system were laid bare during a synthesis re...
Jul 13 , 2024 . By AKSAH ITALO
Construction authorities have unveiled a price adjustment implementation manual for s...
Oct 26 , 2024
When flames devoured parts of Mercato, residents watched helplessly as decades of toi...
Oct 20 , 2024
Central Bank authorities have unveiled no less than six new guidelines to fine-tune t...
Oct 12 , 2024
In his inaugural address on October 27, 2024, Taye Atseqesellasie, the fifth presiden...
Oct 5 , 2024
Not long ago, the sight of exchange bureaus in Addis Abeba was as rare as a cloudless...
Oct 27 , 2024
Ethiopia's ambition to host the 2029 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) is seen as a bold bet that contrasts with the struggling state of its dom...
Oct 27 , 2024 . By AKSAH ITALO
The recent repeal of a 55pc foreign currency allowance for raw material imports has disrupted the pharmac...
Oct 27 , 2024 . By AKSAH ITALO
The National Bank of Ethiopia (NBE) has enlisted private banks to shoulder a substantial portion of the f...
Oct 27 , 2024 . By BAKSA WORKU
The National Election Board of Ethiopia (NEBE) has implemented a sweeping hike in fees for political part...