The Status of Gender Mainstreaming: Prospects and Challenges: A Case Study on Dire Dawa City Administration Sector Bureaus, Ethiopia

Abstract

The general objective of this study was to assess the current gender mainstreaming practices in selected sector bureaus in Dire Dawa City Administration. It also aimed to examine the existing positive potentials to mainstream gender issues and to explore the challenges faced by the study sectors in the process of gender mainstreaming practice. In order to meet these objectives, the study used qualitative research methods to explore the current gender mainstreaming practices in the study sectors. Consequently, purposive sampling was used to select the informants and discussants of the study.

This study finds out that, Except Women and Children Affairs Office, women are not holding higher level positions in Bureau of finance and economic development and bureau of education. According to research participants (informants and discussants) of the study who are working in the area of planning right now, the understanding of gender in general and gender mainstreaming in particular is yet to come for them. Even gender focal persons in these sector bureaus did not perform their job effectively because of the existence of over masked mandate and lack of potential to coordinate and implement gender mainstreaming initiatives in their respective sector bureaus. The study sector bureaus did not engage themselves in applying various tools and techniques as a gender mainstreaming strategy. Very low commitment of decision making bodies on the part of decision-making followed by poor triangular linkages between gender focal persons and Women and Children Affairs Office were the major challenges identified in the study. The study also finds out that the mere presence of policy and strategic documents do not make sense unless appropriate and context specific programs, projects interventions are designed at the City level. Therefore, the crucial thing for the move towards prevailing gender gaps in the study sectors is implement gender mainstreaming practice.