Eritrea's path in protecting women, ensuring gender equality

Eritrea has made commendable progress in its pursuit of 'Education for All,' focusing on achieving universal primary education and gender parity across all educational levels.

While particular emphasis has been placed on expanding educational opportunities in remote areas to enrol out-of-school children, both boys and girls, the government has also Eritrea has taken significant steps toward gender equality and women's empowerment through the adoption and implementation of relevant legal instruments.

Implementation of legal instruments

The country has ratified various international treaties aimed at advancing the human rights and equality of women. These include the Convention on the Rights of the Child (1994), the Convention on the Elimination of all Forms of Discrimination Against Women (1995), the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (1999), the African Charter on Human and People's Rights (1999), the International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights (2001), and the Beijing Declaration and Global Platform for Action.

Additionally, Eritrea ratified ILO Conventions in 2000. These ratifications and commitments underscore Eritrea's dedication to promoting gender equality and human rights.

National legal framework

More importantly, at the national level, Eritrea takes pride in transformative gains made in advancing girls' education, showcasing a commitment to fostering equal educational opportunities for all.

The country has since 1994 adopted a National Charter which emphatically declares that education is a fundamental right to which every Eritrean is entitled without any form of discrimination. Part of the document reads, “Education is a fundamental right to which every Eritrean is entitled. Therefore, we must expand education to the rural areas of the country where educational opportunity has so far been scant,” the Ministry of Information quotes.

In 2003, Eritrea's dedication to fostering gender equality in education received a significant boost with the introduction of a new national education policy in February 2003. The policy underscored the central importance of gender equality in basic education, explicitly stating that the government is committed to ensuring equitable educational opportunities for all citizens, the UN reported. It read, “the government shall work towards the elimination of gender disparity at all levels of the education system… it commits to ensuring girls’ full and equal access to and achievement in basic and secondary education of good quality.”

In a continuing commitment to advance women's participation in education, Eritrea has taken significant steps, including the criminalisation of underage marriage and harmful traditional practices, Girls Not Brides has reported.

The Macro Policy of Eritrea, established in 1994, firmly asserts the commitment to uphold the equal rights of women, pledging to amend any laws that hinder this right.

The progress

Over the past three decades since gaining independence, Eritrea has witnessed substantial progress in narrowing the gender gap, particularly in the realm of education. A notable achievement is the significant increase in the female youth literacy rate, which has soared from 49.3% in 1990 to an impressive 92.71% in 2018.

A comprehensive report from the 2022/2023 academic year shed light on the enrolment patterns of girls in schools across different regions in Eritrea. The data revealed variations in female enrolment percentages from primary to secondary levels. In the Anseba region, 48.4% of students were girls, while the Southern region saw a slightly lower figure of 46%. The Central region recorded a higher enrolment of 48.9% for girls, whereas the Northern Red Sea region reported 41.46%. The Southern Red Sea region faced greater challenges, with a female enrolment rate of 28.2%. The Gash Barka region presented a unique scenario, where the female enrolment rate in secondary schools stood at 38%, the Ministry of Information report further stated.

In higher educational facilities, female enrolment of women has consistently risen over the years. In the 2022/2023 academic year, females constituted 44.65% of college students. While the College of Engineering and Technology had 519 (33.87%) female students, the College of Sciences had 514 (49.45%) female students.

These proactive measures reflect the government's dedication to fostering an environment where women have equal access to education, further contributing to the nation's pursuit of gender equality and empowerment.