About

Ethiopian Women's Rights Advocates (EWRA)

EWRA is a non-profit organization established on February 15, 2021. It has been registered and accorded legal personality with register number 5398 from the Ethiopian Authority for CSO. Established to advocate and challenge policy and practice gaps on the rights of Ethiopian women by Ethiopian women.

The founders are 6 Ethiopians (5 women and 1 man) with backgrounds in law, gender, sociology, public health, economics, and development and extensive experience of working in Ethiopia and outside.

Five of us met as new colleagues while serving as an advisory team to the Minister at the Ethiopian Ministry of Women, Children, and Youth, and we have developed a strong, supportive working relationship as well as friendship. We thought thinks about women's rights issues before registering in July 2019. After that, we met with Mr. Kumlachew who was also interested in establishing a CSO working on women's rights.

Vision

We envision equality and improved legal frameworks for Ethiopian women in terms of rights and protection.

Mission

To challenge legal, policy, structural, and social norms in order to empower women, particularly disadvantaged and marginalized women and girls.

Objective

Promoting and advancing issues concerning gender equality and the protection of women's rights through dialogue, research, and evidence-based advocacy

1. Advocate for the inclusion and reflection of women’s rights in legal, political, economic, and social spheres.
2. Conduct women-focused studies, operational research, and discussion fora.
3. Identify and address gaps in laws, policies, and program implementation around gender equality and equity.
4. Monitoring and advocacy around relevant regional and international instruments to which Ethiopia is a signatory [very broad- decide on which specific area(s) to focus].
5. Increased participation of women in political and peace processes at the federal, regional, and grassroots levels.