Women, Children and Youth Affairs
Dr. Sewalem Tsega
Gender Office and HIV/AIDS prevention Director
Email: sewalem.tsega@aau.edu.et
The Gender Office is especially accountable to the Office of the President and as a result it is presented in this document under this title. The main reason for this as stated in the AAU Senate legislation and the documents released at the establishment of the office clearly state that the question of gender balance is one of the major priority areas of the Ethiopian Government. This cascades to AAU that it is responsible to ensure the balance of the genders at higher education level so that females also get the most attention and support so that they also part of the country’s development and they contribute theirshare to the same effort. The Office of the President also made it a point that issues concerning gender balance get quick responses and supports directly from the president of the university.
The Gender Office of AAU endeavors to address issues of gender balance by way of upgrading awareness of its senior and support staff members found in 15 campuses of AAU who every day cater for the care and development of Ethiopia’s elite and numbered female students. It is here that intervention start a these students of today at AAU will have the multiplier effect when they graduate in two or three years and take their positions in various public and private offices.
The second major activity that is desired in the coming years is the implementation of the Gender Policy of AAU which was developed and approved by AAU Senate and its governing board. This document obtained full support from Sida in previous projects. In the coming years, Sida wishes to see this policy translated into action o that Ethiopian females demonstrate their talents with all their right respected and exercised by all citizens.
There is also expectation, if this part of this proposal gets approval, to invite regional universities (at least some of them) to participate covering their own expenses. This will have a multiplier effect in a very short time and paves the way for future collaboration in exchanging experiences and in bringing forward emerging challenges of females as the society forges forward with development in this globalized world.