EmpowermentofEthiopianwomenandtheachievementoftheUNMillennium DevelopmentGoals(MDGs)EmpowermentofEthiopianwomenandtheachievementoftheUNMillennium DevelopmentGoals(MDGs)

Abstract: The aim of this study was to investigate the connection between rural Ethiopian women empowerment and the development progress process that Ethiopiais achieving contemporarily.It also studied whether the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) set by the UN are enough to address the needs and improve the status of women and young girls in Ethiopia. The study was conducted with an objective of shading light on the statuses of women in Ethiopia and the obstacles they face in their daily lives. Ethiopia is a multicultural nation with more than 80 different ethnic groups with differing cultures of their own. Within this varying cultures, women have different roles which in most cases is very law.This is most striking in the rural parts of the country. And therefore, the study answered questions concerning what the needs of rural Ethiopian women are, what traditional orcultural barriers they face as awoman, whether they are being empowered in different ways and the roles international non governmental organizations paly towards Ethiopian women’s empowerment in the rural parts.Thestudy found that as women are ina disadvantaged position,among thepoorest and are discriminated against in therural parts of Ethiopia, their involvement in development processes is low and making their voices be heard is hard for them. This has contributed to the slow phased human development in contrary to the faster Gross Domestic Product (GDP) growth. One of the accounts for this is that the rural community of Ethiopia exhibits a traditional outlook towards women and hence has determined their positionwithin their community.Women are confined to the domestic spheres in which they do not even have a say in family discission to a greater deal. This outlooks and similar assumptions of women have been challenged by projects from international non governmental organizations to some extent. It was also evident that a country’s high GDP rate does not necessarily lead to an over all improvement of individual citizens in the country as women still continue to be among the poorest in the country. Overcoming poverty is hardly possible without including and empowering women in the development process.Answering the research questions was performed through a narrative analysis of stories told by the participants. The stories exhibit the same patterns and contents which described the similar challenges that rural women face to the present day. Data was collected with interviews in a way which comforted participants to tell their stories and experiences. To the end, the study found out that the participation of women not in social only,but also political, economic and otherprominent sectors would help in overcoming poverty and achieving an all encompassing development. There is no political interest of whatsoever for conducting this study except for understanding women and development in the ruralpartsofEthiopia.