Women’s Political Representation and Transition to Democracy in Ethiopian Federalism: An Analysis of the Gaps in the Institutionalisation of Women’s Rights

Abstract

The transition to democracy under Ethiopian federalism presents opportunities as well as inherent challenges for the institutionalisation of women’s political representation. Among the opportunities, the establishment of the Institutions for the Advancement of Women’s Status (IAWS) from the federal to local level and the constitutional recognition of women’s political rights can be cited. However, substantive representation of women and gender parity in the political arena are not yet fully institutionalised. The objective of this article is, therefore, to assess the trajectories of the institutionalisation of women’s political representation in the transition to democracy under Ethiopian federalism. Informed by the selective use of sociological, historical and feminist theories of neo-institutionalism, this study relies on data collected using key informant interviews, documentary analysis, and media sources. The findings reveal that the IAWS have weak political clout and a limited role in influencing institutional change to promote gender parity in the political arena. Path-dependency in women’s policy and associations, narrow political space for democratisation, and the nature of the electoral and quota system are the main factors that inhibit the institutionalisation of women’s political representation. The study concludes that building robust IAWS focused on gender and reforming the politico-legal space for exercising political rights and the electoral system would enhance women’s substantive political representation as well as strengthen both the institutionalisation of women’s representation and multiparty democracy.