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Port of Call |
LAST UPDATE July 12, 2005
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| March 6, 2005 |
Massawa, Eritrea –
The National Union of Eritrean Women |
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| Members of the National Union of Eritrean Women (NUEW) greet Peace Boat as the 48th voyage arrives in Massawa, Eritrea. (photo by Todd Frank) |
Peace Boat’s 48th voyage received a warm welcome as it arrived in Massawa, Eritrea on March 6, International Women’s Day. For many participants, it was their first visit to Africa’s youngest nation, and in the days before arriving in Massawa, lectures and workshops were given about Eritrean history, culture, language, and people. Although Peace Boat’s stop in Massawa was short, participants took advantage of opportunity to experience the many things this fascinating country has to offer. While many chose to explore the port of Massawa at their own leisure, a group of fifty participants joined the National Union of Eritrean Women (NUEW) in an exchange in order to learn more about the issues they had been introduced to onboard. |
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| Eritrean women face many difficulties on the path to independence. |
The NUEW was founded in 1979, during the Liberation War with Ethiopia, as an organization dedicated to facilitating Eritrean women’s participation in the war effort. Now that Eritrea and Ethiopia are no longer at war, the organization’s focus has shifted, and they are now working to improve the status of Eritrean women through a variety of means. This is a difficult task, as women are often marginalized in Eritrea’s patriarchal society. Even though the Eritrean government has taken steps to remedy this situation, there is still a great deal of work that needs to be done.
One Eritrean woman, who asked to remain anonymous, explained the situation. “Even if parliament says that women have equal opportunities, because of the real situation, they are missing out on the chance to participate fully in society. Because they depend on their husbands and families for their livelihood, they are always at the mercy of those people. So, the aim of NUEW is to make the lives of women easier. For example, if water is available close to their homes, they spend less time going far away to fetch water for their families. If they spend less time in the domestic affairs, they will have more time to get at least a basic education. NUEW’s objective is for them to be able to get an income for themselves. In that case, they will not have to depend on their families for their income; they will be free.” |
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| Peace Boat participants and NUEW members were grateful for the chance to learn more about each other. |
NUEW sponsors many programs that help to provide women with the knowledge and opportunities they need to improve their lives. Education is one of the main aims of the organization, and its educational programs take many forms. Because more than 80% of the Eritrean population lives in rural areas, education about health issues and basic sanitation is one of the key issues that NUEW promotes. Additionally, they work to provide women with the skills and knowledge they need to be able to earn an independent income.
Another problem that the organization is trying to address is the traditional practice of female genital mutilation (FGM), often called “female circumcision.” In Eritrea, like many other nations in Africa, FGM is performed by both Christians and Muslims as a religious ceremony, despite the fact that religious leaders have made it clear that neither the Bible, nor the Koran calls for such a practice. According to NUEW, in 1995 the rate of female circumcision in Eritrea was 95%. Through efforts to educate the population about the myths surrounding the practice, the rate had fallen to 88.7% in 2002. |
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| Even though the time spent with the NUEW was short, friendships were quickly formed. |
Amna Hassen, Treasurer of NUEW, thanked Peace Boat participants for their visit and desire to learn more about Eritrean women’s struggle for a better life. She explained that while the organization has made great strides to improve the status of women, there is still much more that needs to be done. She encouraged attendees to “break the silence and do whatever (they) can to promote women’s rights.” By introducing attendees to NUEW’s work, she hoped that they would be inspired to spread the message back home and take action in support of NUEW.
Nakamura Ayumi, a 27 year old former consultant who has experienced intense gender discrimination in Japan, greatly admired NUEW’s accomplishments. “In Japan, traditionally women have a lower status than men and I don’t think that Japanese women have really worked for equal rights. I was very impressed by the Eritrean women’s efforts to fight for their rights, when they are so much lower than ours. It really made me think about what I could do in Japan. They showed me the importance of acting and breaking the silence.” |
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