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15 May, 2007
Unemployment rates for both men and women in Africa have remained largely unchanged over the past decade, with women still maintaining lower levels at 7.6pc compared to men at 9.1pc, according to a report, Equality at Work: Tackling the Challenges, by the International Labour Office (ILO) on May 10, 2007.
The Second Global Report on Discrimination under the follow-up to the ILO Declaration on the Fundamental Principles and Rights at Work further states that the participation of women in the labour force has declined by 1.6pc while the number of women in non-agricultural, paid employment over the past decade has increased by 3.5pc.
According to statistics from the Federal Civil Service Agency Women Affairs Department, women take 33pc of the Civil Service positions in Ethiopia, out of which 95pc are lower grade employees. Furthermore, when women do receive jobs, abuse they experience goes unreported as only around 20pc of sexual harassment cases at the work place go to court.
“Even if women fulfil the necessary requirements, they are not getting the right positions,” Tsehay Assefa, head of the Department, told Fortune.
Tsehay added that it was necessary for organisations, including NGOs, to coordinate efforts to raise awareness and enact policies at the company level to improve women’s plight.
The report defines discrimination in employment and occupation as granting preferential treatment based on race, colour, sex, religion, political opinion, national extraction or social origin, which are not related to merit or requirements of the job.
The ILO report also states that in 2005, people with disabilities of working age have an employment rate of only 38pc, severely lagging behind their non-disabled counterparts, whose corresponding rate is 78pc.
Ethiopia ratified the ILO Convention on Discrimination and has enacted federal legislation giving discrimination and harassment severe criminal penalties. According to the Federal Civil Service Proclamation, women are supposed to receive preferential treatment in order to bring their employment levels on par with their male counterparts.
“Because work is the centre of our lives, eliminating discrimination at the workplace will go a long way to rooting it out in society at large,” Juan Somavia, director general of ILO, stated.
The ILO Discrimination (Employment and Occupation) convention was adopted in 1958 by 164 countries.
By Metasebia Feleke - FORTUNE STAFF WRITER