Like many other couples in the Amhara Region of Ethiopia, Aletu and her husband Kidat were used to the gender norms of their culture. Men were the decision makers, and women often felt disrespected and unhappy.
When community leaders partnered with Food for the Hungry (FH), couples like Aletu and Kidat began to reject these norms. FH supporters made gender outreach training sessions possible. The couples discussed gender-specific themes in these community dialogue sessions to promote positive gender norms. The conversations helped lead to healthier relationships between the men and women and transformed the quality of their family relationships. Thanks to the open dialogue, the entire community has been strengthened.
Disrespected and Discouraged
“My children didn’t listen to me and respect me as they respected my husband because all the decisions were made by him,” she says. “Furthermore, I didn’t have the power to decide on the income we generated from our small business. All these issues made me frustrated and hurt.”
Many women in the community actively participated in house chores and income-generating activities, but they were not treated equally. They did not have decision-making authority and were typically not seen as capable of managing money or property.
“[Aletu and I were both] engaged in business, but my wife is the one who participated in both the domestic works and the business ones. However, I was the only one who decided how revenue was used,” Kidat explains. “I used to spend money for my personal needs and found myself struggling to save money for our children’s fees.”
This norm began to shift for Aletu, Kidat, and the entire community when FH partnered with USAID to lead gender outreach training sessions with families. Thanks to relationships in the community and the support of donors, FH led these powerful sessions with couples in the community, which began to improve the relationship dynamics in the families who participated.
A Shift Towards Equality
Couples in Aletu and Kidat’s community engaged in community dialogue sessions that promoted positive changes in their views of gender equality and joint decision-making. For Aletu and Kidat, these sessions drastically improved their relationships, and their family experienced a wonderful transformation.
“I used to hold back my thoughts, feelings, and needs.” Aletu shares. “As a family, we now have strong relationships. We protect and are supportive of each other and are responsive to each other’s emotions and stresses.”
Since the FH training sessions, Aletu and Kidat have also noticed positive changes throughout their entire community. Before the sessions, women’s decisions were often overruled by their husbands, which harmed the family and the community as a whole. They didn’t feel comfortable discussing their concerns and kept their emotions, needs, and opinions to themselves. Aletu, in particular, has started to see this trend shift.
“Through different trainings and livelihood activities, the project has increased the participation of women in the community and has brought them into leadership positions,” Aletu says. “Women have started to become more engaged in business activities and managing their income with their husbands.”
The men have also started to see the positive outcomes of the gender trainings, even though they initially were skeptical. Kidat says he, in particular, faced a lot of resistance when he started challenging the established gender norms. “Many, including my friends, questioned my masculinity. But now there is a sense of progress.”
A Community Looking Forward
Aletu and Kidat are confident that what they learned in the training sessions will continue to strengthen their community.
“We have high hopes for the future of a community that promotes a positive gender culture,” Kidat says. “I believe that empowering and rewarding women will lead to development and prosperity. I expect the traditional gender beliefs in the community to change. Both men and women should decide on their resources equally. Not only does this help create a more harmonious home and family, but it also helps empower women by allowing them to pursue other interests like income generating work.”
The collaboration between community leaders and FH supporters has changed the lives of many families in the community. Women now feel joy, motivation, and belonging, and their husbands are happy to see a positive change in their family and community.
“Since being part of this education, we are seeing outdated beliefs gradually replaced by more just and positive values,” Kidat shares. “Witnessing the collective development of our community fills me with a deep sense of pride.”
You Can Help Transform More Communities
Aletu and Kidat’s community is just one example of the incredible life change that is occurring thanks to training programs like this one that are made possible by donors like you. When you give to Strengthen Communities, you are investing in trainings that change families and communities now and for generations to come.
