Coalition for Women’s Voice in the National Dialogue
As Ethiopia still grapples with divisions, women are building bridges. TIMRAN and the Coalition for Women’s Voice in the National Dialogue just closed a three-year push to get women’s priorities at the forefront of Ethiopia’s National Dialogue, and they did it while fighting ensued. They did it for everyone, including getting the voices of youth and disabled communities heard.
These three years were of connection and creation:
- 6,134 women mobilised across 11 regions and two city administrations
- 3,352 agendas gathered
- 2 rounds of prioritisation and validation before submission to the Ethiopian National Dialogue Commission (ENDC)
- From 22 member organisations to around 60
It was three years of building a coalition, steering the secretariat, and drawing a shared agenda intact when war, lack of resources, and fatigue were constant threats. But their resilience never wavered.
We were there from the start. From encouraging different people to organise, to providing technical support, facilitating experience sharing with others in similar contexts, to helping to shape agenda selection criteria, and funding both their General Assemblies. Staying close enough to answer the practical questions coalitions always have, providing the accompaniment they deserve.
The dialogue process is still unfinished and has been extended. There are another eight months ahead, as Tigray is still missing from consultations. But TIMRAN keeps working with the Commission to keep the process, and the outcomes, inclusive of not just women, but youth and disabled communities, while preparing organisers for the next chapter. And we will continue to be by their side.
