6th Annual International Women’s Conference

6^th Annual International Women’s Conference

The Center of the Rights of Ethiopian Women (CREW) had its Annual International Women’s Conference on March 11, 2017, in Silver Spring, Maryland. The theme of this year’s conference is “Human Rights and the Rule of Law Under Ethiopia’s State of Emergency.”

The one-day conference covered: a)The rule of law and the judicial system under the state of emergency in Ethiopia, b) The state of emergency and its implications and impacts on future human rights movements, c)Community-related issues such as domestic violence and human trafficking, d)Gender-based violence among immigrant community in the USA, e)The role of human rights commission in Montgomery County, Maryland, and f) Lobbying and advocating on human rights issues. Presenters were both academics and practitioners who have expertise in their areas of presentations.

At the conference, CREW announced this year’s winner of the Maigenet Shifferraw Fellowship. The request for proposal (RFP) was announced in December 2016. The RFP was for two areas: a) Academic Fellowship for those conducting research on Ethiopian girls or women for the Master’s or the Ph.D. 2) Community Support for organizations in Ethiopia that promotes the wellbeing and/or empowerment of women and girls in Ethiopia.  Application for the Academic Fellowship was not received. However, applications for Community Support were received from Ethiopia. All community support providers struggle to improve the situation of girls and women in Ethiopia and their efforts were impressive.

The 2017 winner for the Maigenet Shifferraw Fellowship was the Yellow Movement; female students of Addis Ababa University. This illustrious group support their peer female students from disadvantaged backgrounds who struggle under economic hardships and can’t afford to meet even their basic feminine needs. The Yellow Movement also hold BiannualBlood Donation events and campaign on Ending Gender Based Violence, among others. For further information on the group please visit https://www.facebook.comTheYellowMovementAau. Both CREW and the Maigenet Shifferraw Fellowship congratulate the Yellow Movement and encourage them to continue their noble endeavor. They have set a good example to empower women and improve their unfortunate situations.

CREW will announce request for proposal, before the end of this year, and hope to receive proposals for both the Academic Fellowship and for Community Support.

CREW is a 501 (c) not-for-profit organization, we urge those interested in the empowerment of Ethiopian girls and women to send your tax-deductible donation and help improve the situation of the most vulnerable members of our society. Also, please be our member and be part of an organization that has been in existence since 1991. We have a strong track-record of working for human rights and serving as voice for the voiceless in our country.

For membership, use:  http://centerforethiopianwomen.or/actions/memberships

To donate, use:  http://centerforethiopianwomen.org/actions/donate

A reminder: The book authored by Dr. Maigenet Shifferraw, A Struggle from Afar: The Center for the Rights of Ethiopia Women, Tsehai Publishing, 2017, will soon be released. The proceeds from the book, managed by CREW, will go to the MaigenetShifferraw Fellowship and CREW.The book chronicles the efforts of CREW and its predecessor, Ethiopian Women for Peace, and Development (EWPD), since its inception in 1991.

March 2017.