Ethiopian Media Women Association (EMWA)

The Network of Ethiopian Women's Associations (NEWA) is a non-partisan, non-governmental national coalition established in Ethiopia to advance women's rights and gender equality. By building synergy among its constituent member organizations and working collaboratively with civil society, government bodies, and international partners, NEWA advocates for policy reform, strengthens legal protections, and enhances the holistic empowerment of women and girls nationwide.

Strategic Framework

| Component | Definition & Objectives | | --- | --- | | Vision | Aspire for an Ethiopian society in which gender equality is realized. | | Mission | Promote gender equality and enhance the economic, social, political, and legal empowerment of women and girls in Ethiopia by strengthening synergy among constituents, enabling joint efforts of all actors, and ensuring accountability towards the protection of women’s rights. | | Strategic Goal | Contribute towards an enhanced level of engagement of women in the democracy, governance, and development of Ethiopia by an incremental percentage in 2025. |

Core Values

• Equality: Upholding parity and non-discrimination across all spheres of life.
• Collaboration & Networking: Building cohesive alliances across civil society, public institutions, and grassroots groups.
• Value Membership: Prioritizing member engagement, collective ownership, and constituency support.
• Integrity: Maintaining honesty, transparency, and high ethical standards in all interventions.
• Commitment: Demonstrating dedication to the gender equality and social justice mandate.
• Inclusiveness: Ensuring broad representation that encompasses diverse groups of women and girls.
• Engagement: Actively mobilizing communities and institutions to drive meaningful participation.
• Change Agent: Serving as a proactive catalyst for systemic and structural social transformation.
• Transparency & Accountability: Fostering open processes and holding institutions accountable for women's human rights obligations.

Core Mandates & Key Interventions

• Policy Formulation & Legal Advocacy: Strengthening joint efforts to ensure the lived experiences, perspectives, and interests of women are integrated into national and regional legislative and policy processes.
• Consortium Platform & Collective Voice: Serving as a national platform and common voice for women's associations, creating forums for knowledge exchange, scaling best practices, and strategizing collective responses to structural challenges.
• Treaty Monitoring & Compliance: Tracking Ethiopia's adherence to ratified national laws and international human rights conventions, actively engaging with regional and global treaty bodies.
• Public Legal Education: Raising awareness among women and men regarding constitutional and statutory rights, mobilizing cross-sectoral support to overcome systemic gender inequalities.
• Institutional Capacity Building: Strengthening the operational and advocacy capabilities of women-led organizations to counter Gender-Based Violence (GBV), Violence Against Women (VAW), and Harmful Traditional Practices (HTPs).