Women’s representation in Ethiopia’s political parties: issues of inclusion and diversity

Though characteristics such as ethnicity and education shape women’s entry into politics, they are often considered one homogenous group.

The discourse on women and politics has focused on increasing the participation of women in politics. While this remains critical, experiences of female political party members show that calls for increased representation mask intersecting aspects of identity that exclude certain categories of women from political party engagement and from factors that propel women into politics. The discourse should expand to examine which women are represented and to what degree women from marginalised groups are represented.

About the author

Emezat H Mengesha (PhD) teaches and researches on women and governance and women’s economic empowerment issues in the context of Ethiopia and Africa. She has over a decade of experience in advisory and consulting work with government and non-governmental bodies in Ethiopia and beyond. Emezat currently teaches at Addis Ababa University.

Image: Amelia Broodryk/ISS