Petition to call for Participation of Women in the Election of Advocate’s Administration Board Members

Ethiopian Women Lawyers Association was established at the federal level in 1996 by female lawyers. It is an indigenous civic organization registered by the Civil Society Authority; it has been working for more than 25 years to promote women’s social, economic, political and legal rights to help women exercise their constitutional and other rights.  

Through its three programs—Legal Research and Advocacy, Public Education and Capacity Building, and Free Legal Aid Service—the association seeks to advance the equal participation of women in all spheres of society, prevent sexual violence against women, and provide a safe environment for women.

EWLA has its head office in Addis Ababa and eight branches in Adama/Nazareth, Assosa, Bahir Dar, Diredawa, Gambella, Jigjiga, Semara and Hawassa. The branch/regional offices are supported by 54 trained voluntary committees organized at woreda and zonal levels providing structures to reach women at a grass root level in Ethiopia.

On July 30, 2022, the Federal Ministry of Justice announced on its official Facebook page that the board members of the Advocate's Administration, who were all chosen by the Prime Minister, are all men. The appointment made on this basis is contrary to the principles of gender balance, inclusivity, and equality by excluding women and persons with disabilities and violating  the constitutionally guaranteed right of women and persons with disabilities to participate and hold a position on decision-making positions equal to men. As a result, the Ethiopian Women Lawyers Association strongly opposes to the concerned institutions' decision to solely pick board members of one gender. 

Therefore, we ask these questions:

1. The appointment should be revised/reconsidered and carried out with a proportionate number of females.

2. Such kind of appointments should never be repeated again

Thus, we call upon all Lawyers, Human Right Organizations, National and International Organizations and Individuals who are interested to support this petition by objecting the appointments and job allocations done, to advocate the revision of the appointments again and contribute for the future appointments to be gender balanced and inclusive by signing.