Women in Eritrea
[1] The emancipation of women was central to the cultural revolution advocated by the EPLF and their Marxist–Leninist ideology, within its own ranks the Front attempted to put gender equality into practice during the 30-year war.
Areas that were consolidated by the Eritrean People's Liberation Front from Ethiopian hegemony were the epicenter of this cultural revolution.
The EPLF conceptualized marriage as the partnership of a man and woman who are each free individuals exercising choice.
[2] Women in the EPLF exercised choice both in starting relationships and ending them which was not the norm in rural and traditional Ethiopian society in the 1960s.
Women in conflict are often solely perceived as victims, often suffering from rape and being portrayed as defenseless and inactive during these periods.
The breaking down of gender roles and stereotypes was important for creating healthy social conditions for women.
Gendered images of women as inferior, less capable, submissive, emotional, less intelligent and docile and portrayals of men as superior, more competent, dominant, rational, and intelligent may breed the grounds for sexist assumptions that are reproduced in society and become detrimental to women who have to deal with these assumptions on a daily basis.
Women also provide the labour for 80% of the food storage and transport from farm to the home, 90% of hoeing and weeding, and 60% of harvesting and marketing.
Women also contribute to the harvesting of fisheries resources, such as catching small pelagic fish, collecting sea snails for the incense and perfume production in Yemen and other Arab countries.
Although this number is low, efforts are being made to increase this statistic and allow women more access to education while supporting their family.
[9] Many Eritrean women in isolated and rural areas are expected to work in agriculture and maintain domestic responsibilities in early adulthood.
[10] The average distance for elementary, middle and secondary school levels is contributing to the low education enrollment for women.
An Eritrean girl must travel a long distance, or either, leave home to live in a rented house or with relatives outside the family village.
This is hard for girls who are generally not allowed to travel long distances or rent houses in the urban areas to continue their education for safety reasons.
This makes it difficult for women to pursue higher education because they are expected to work in subsistence agriculture and prepare food for their family at a young age.
