For years, Dr Marta Kidemu believed that reaching senior leadership positions in Ethiopia’s forestry sector would be more difficult for her as a woman.
A researcher and coordinator of the Ethiopian Climate Change Research Project at Ethiopian Forestry Development (EFD), she already manages projects and teams. Yet she often questioned whether women were given the same opportunities to advance into leadership roles.
That perception began to shift during Women and Assertive Leadership in the Forestry and Tree Seed Sector in Ethiopia, a training held in Addis Ababa from 28 to 30 April.
Organized through the Provision of Adequate Tree Seed Portfolio Project III (PATSPO III), the workshop brought together 20 women from forestry and environmental institutions across Ethiopia.
After taking part in the training, Marta said her perspective had changed.
“When we see the level of women’s participation in leadership in the forestry sector, it is low,” she said. “Personally, I learnt that I should change my attitude and believe that I can actually become a leader.
“I noticed that we were actively and freely participating in this training because all participants were women. Our participation is much lower when we are together with men. Because we are not speaking when we are with men, it gives the impression that we are not able to become leaders. I learnt from the training that I should speak out about what I feel and what I know.”
The training was the first women-only gender and leadership training organized through the PATSPO project and Landscape Alliance, the new name of the Center for International Forestry Research (CIFOR) and World Agroforestry (ICRAF).
Opening the training, PATSPO III Senior Team Leader Soren Moestrup said that, based on a gender analysis conducted by the project in late 2022, PATSPO II had organized several gender-related training courses during the previous four years.
“Gender is about women and men, but the participants in this training are all women because the focus is on career development and job opportunities for women in the forestry and tree seed sector,” he said. “We don’t need such training for men because they are already in leadership positions in the forestry sector.”
He expressed hope that the training would help some participants advance to higher positions within their organizations.
PATSPO III Senior Team Leader Soren Moestrup opens the workshop. Photo by Eyob Getahun/Landscape Alliance.
Participants attend the Women and Assertive Leadership training in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. Photo by Eyob Getahun/Landscape Alliance.
The training explored gender, confidence and leadership, encouraging participants to develop assertive leadership skills and reflect on barriers women face in pursuing leadership positions.
The training was facilitated by Katrine Friborg, a gender specialist and consultant with Landscape Alliance, and Beliyu Limenih, a researcher at EFD.
Regarding the importance of the training, Friborg said: “Assertive leadership is intentional and requires a lot of skill and practice. Very few people are born with such skills. Learning about and practising this type of leadership is therefore important. The training has made some contribution in this regard.”
The three-day workshop concluded with a half-day panel discussion involving four male leaders from EFD. During the discussion, participants presented analyses of the challenges they face and proposed solutions.
The women observed that they had spoken freely and participated actively throughout the training. They also acknowledged that they often remain quiet and reserved in mixed-gender settings because of social norms suggesting that women should speak less and remain in the background.
One of the panellists, a male supervisor, said: “Women need to speak out about what they have in mind if they want to be leaders. Speaking is important to know whether someone can lead or not. If someone can’t speak, how can people know that she can lead?”
The discussion also touched on the need to challenge gender norms at home.
“We need our sons to help in the kitchen and teach our daughters that they can be leaders,” said one of the panellists.
Despite progress toward gender equality in Ethiopia, participants agreed that women continue to face more obstacles than men. One challenge is the widespread perception, held by both men and women, that women cannot do what men can do.
Participants agreed on the need to confront such norms with confidence. The panellists also emphasized the value of assertive leadership. When participants asked the EFD leaders what they had done to become assertive leaders themselves, a lively discussion followed.
The training facilitators, Beliyu Limenih (left) and Katrine Friborg (right), lead a workshop session. Photo by Eyob Getahun/Landscape Alliance.
Participants and EFD leaders take part in a panel discussion on leadership challenges and opportunities for women in Ethiopia’s forestry sector. Photo by Eyob Getahun/Landscape Alliance.
Naifennan Tadesse, from Oromia Forest and Wildlife Enterprise (OFWE) in Shashemane, said: “The training opened my eyes and increased my confidence. I learnt about the qualities of assertive leadership.”
Nasrine Abass, a young civil servant from the Somali Region Environment Bureau in Jigjiga, said: “I understood the need to be confident, to speak and express myself in front of many people. I learnt to be an assertive leader not only at my workplace but also in my home.”
Naifenna Tadesse, from Oromia Forest and Wildlife Enterprise (OFWE) in Shashemane, said the training increased her confidence and helped her better understand assertive leadership. Photo by Eyob Getahun/Landscape Alliance.
Nasrine Abass, a civil servant from the Somali Region Environment Bureau in Jigjiga, participated in the Women and Assertive Leadership training in Addis Ababa.
Photo by Eyob Getahun/Landscape Alliance.
Kidist Kassaye, an associate researcher at Ethiopian Forestry Development, reflected on the challenges and opportunities facing women in different regions of Ethiopia.
Photo by Eyob Getahun/Landscape Alliance.
Kidist Kassaye, an associate researcher at EFD in Addis Ababa, said: “I have benefited a lot from the training. The fact that we came from different parts of the country helped me see that gender-related problems vary according to location and culture.
“The situation in Addis Ababa is getting better, but if you go to the Somali and Afar regions, women still carry many burdens while men enjoy many comforts. What I learnt from the participants was a new experience for me.”
Kidist said she also learnt how to become an assertive leader: someone who trusts their knowledge, works collaboratively with colleagues to solve problems and supports the growth of women working under them.
“During the training, I had the chance to evaluate my bosses as well as myself,” she said.
Twenty women from EFD, regional environment bureaus, and the Amhara and Oromia forest enterprises participated in the three-day training.