Ethiopian Gender Learning Forum 1st Annual Meeting: April 16, 2021

The Ethiopian Gender Learning Forum (EGLF) held first annual meeting on April 16, 2021 virtually. The main objectives of the annual meeting was to formalize and operationalize the forum by approving the draft statute, appointing Board members and approving annual work plan of the forum.

The Ethiopian Gender Learning Forum evolved from a dialogue that was co-hosted by EAS and INASP on enabling equitable research systems in Ethiopia, from 22 -24 November 2018 in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. Participants had consensus on the need for establishing a platform to systematically and cohesively contribute to addressing issues of gender inequity within Ethiopia’s research system, and emphasized the importance of defining and articulating the platform’s purpose and specific areas of engagement as a next step in the establishment of the platform. EAS agreed to coordinate the process of establishing the platform and to host the platform within its means after it is established and becomes self-sufficient. To this end, the dialogue formed core group with the task of further clarifying and drafting the modalities in which the platform will function. The core group discussed and refined the points raised in the November dialogue and developed a draft statute which articulates the platform’s vision and mission, objectives, guiding principles, and rules by which the forum will function. On February 2020 Gender Champions workshop was held in Addis Ababa. On the workshop, the forum was officially launched and the draft statute was presented and discussion was done. Then after, forum coordinator is assigned.

Even though, the forum is officially launched, the formal establishment is not insured because of lack of approved statue and board members to guide the forum work.  Thus, annual meeting was organized to alleviate above challenges and speedup formal operation the forum.  

At the 1st annual meeting the draft statue and annual work plan for the year 2021 was presented, discussed and approved by member participants.  The agenda to assign board members; The participants discussed in detail on if existing members  have legal right to select or to be selected for board membership, who official assigned institutional members,  is all are officially member and so on. Then finally decided to postpone the agenda for next meeting after the forum secretariat invite all public educational and research institutions to join the forum officially and receive official membership delegation.     

For the annual meeting, Forty three members (37 are those participate on February 2020 gender champions workshop and 6 are from 2018 workshop participant and members of Forum Core group and EAS staffs ) were invited to attend the meeting virtually and 21members were attended the meeting from different higher education research institution in the country. 

Next steps

  • The forum secretariat to invite all public education and research institution to join the forum and delegate appropriate unit, director or person.

  • Based on criteria in statue, all individual members to fill individual membership format

  • Recall meeting with in short period of time as the above issues are finalised