Eritrea: Land ofCan-Do People!

ERI-NEWS

National Service: A toolfor EconomicDevelopment, NationalCohesion and theDefence of Sovereignty

Bi-Weekly Newsletter
Permanent Mission of the State of Eritrea to AU
and UNECA
Press Section
Senior Eritrean Delegation Visited Serbia

Vol 4. Issue 64
13 March 2017

A senior Eritrean delegation composedof Foreign Minister Osman Saleh andPresidential Advisor Yemane Ghebreabpaid a working visit to Serbia, from 7-9
March 2017, at the invitation of theSerbian Government.

ted that his country was ready to build
a strong economic cooperation withEritrea on the basis of warm political
relations that the two countries alreadyenjoy.

The delegation met with President
Tomislav Nikolic; Prime Minister
Aleksandar Vucic; President of theNational Assembly Ms. Maja Gojkovic;
First Deputy Prime Minister (DPM) andForeign Minister Mr. Ivica Dacic; and,Economy Minister Goran Knezevic.

Inside this issue:

Commissioner ofCulture and Sports
2
Conducted aWorking Visit toJapanBBC Africa Editor
Debunks theDemonization of 2Eritrea by theWestern Media

Eritrea and Serbia agreed to build close
cooperation in trade, investment andeducation. They also explored priority
areas based on the strengths andcompetitive advantages of each side.
The two sides further agreed to holdregular consultations and to bolster
their coordination in internationalorganizations and multilateral forums.
This was the first high level visit
between the two countries and Serbia’s
DPM and Foreign Minister describedthe event as "historic and significant."
The Eritrean delegation held warm,
extensive and fruitful discussions with
Serbia’s leaders on bilateral ties as well
as regional and global issues ofcommon concern.

The Serbian First Deputy Prime MinisSerbia’s Prime Minister, Alexander ter and Foreign Minister accepted theVucic, thanked Eritrea for its principled invitation of Minister Osman to visit
position on international issues and sta- Eritrea at his earliest convenience.

Vol 4. Issue 64, 13 March 2017

Conserving Every
Drop of Water 3
International
Women’s Day:
Progress,
Change,Celebration

Eritrean Cyclists
Shine Across theGlobe46

Contact Addresses:
Tel: +251-116620052
Fax:+251-116620011
Email:eritreanaumission@
gmail.com
P.o.Box: 5527
Addis Ababa, Ethiopia

Eritrean Mission toAU& ECA@EritreaAUPage 2Eri-News

Commissioner of Culture and Sports Conducted a Working Visit to JapanThe Commissioner of Culture and Sports of Eritrea, The Japanese Foreign Minister, Mr. Fumio Kishida,
Ambassador Zemede Tekle conducted a working expressed appreciation for the timely visit of theCommissioner to Japan and said that the relation Japanvisit to Japan from 20 to 26 February 2017.
has with Eritrea is growing from time to time.
Ambassador Zemede on his part emphasized thesignificance of his visit in strengthening the relation
between Eritrea and Japan in the sector of sports.
In the meeting conducted with Mr. Yosuo Mori, Vice
Director of the Executive Committee of Tokyo
Olympics 2020, the two sides reached understandingthat allow the Eritrean cyclists to use the Misado
Training Center as part of their preparation for theOlympics. They also agreed to sign memorandum ofcooperation for the strengthening of cooperation inculture.
During the visit, Ambassador Zemede held talks withJapanese Minister of Olympics and Para-Olympics,
Minister of Foreign Affairs, Administrator ofKinagawa Region, Vice Director of the ExecutiveCommittee for Tokyo Olympics 2020 as well as otherheads of sports.

The remarks made by Ambassador Estifanos
Afeworki, Ambassador of the State of Eritrea to Japan,
at a Reception held on 23 February 2017 in honor ofAmbassador Zemede Tekle can be accessed at: http://
www.shabait.com/news/local-news/23507-remarksmade-ambassador-estifanos-afeworki-

BBC Africa Editor Debunks the Demonization of Eritrea by the Western MediaThe BBC Africa Editor, Ms. Mary Harper, stated thather first-hand impressions of Eritrea gathered during
her visits to the country contradict with the prevalent
negative representation of Eritrea in Western media.
Ms. Harper made the remarks during a Seminar held
at Birkbeck University in London.
“Before I went [to Eritrea], I really tried to do myhomework, I watched everything I could. Read asmuch as I could…. But, I think, never been before
in my time reporting on Africa—and I havereported on pretty much every country there—I
have never had an experience of getting to theplace and thinking ‘this is another country
compared with the image I have been given by themedia.’ And that is absolutely not to say Eritrea issome sort of paradise. It is demonized by theWestern media and various organizations. The
image of Eritrea is incredibly limited.”
Ms. Mary Harper

Ms. Harper’s presentation at the Seminar can beviewed at:https://www.youtube.com/watch?
v=P7l14fFN9C8&feature=em-share_video_user

Vol 4. Issue 64, 13 March 2017

Page 3Eri-News

Conserving Every Drop of Water
Eritrea is located in one of the driest parts of theAfrican continent. Like its neighboring countries thecountry suffers from repeated shortfall of rains which
affects agricultural production and availability ofdrinking water. However, the country has longgraduated from dependency on food aid.

bling the communities to harvest two to three times
per year using irrigation farming. The Government
intervention entails provision of mechanized farming,
modern farming techniques and management methods,
improved seeds, fertilizer, and technical packages.

Fish production has been
Eritrea has taken ensuring
introduced in some of thefood security as one of thedams, providing the comtop national priorities andmunities with much needed
the cornerstone for sustainprotein-rich diet in theirable economic growth andproximity.
poverty reduction. TheThe environmental impact
food security strategy,of the water and soil
adopted more than aconservation as well as
decade ago, aims at ensurafforestaion activities ising that all Eritreans haveeasy to witness. In many
sufficient quantity of nutriplaces tree coverage istious food at an affordable
growing and the water
price at any given time andlevel is rising, the flora andplace within the country.
fauna flourishing.
This is to be achievedlargely from a combination of increases in domestic The irrigation schemes are equipped with electricpower for pumping the water and powering thefood production and importation from abroad.
agro-processing plants and cold storage units that are
One of the pillars of strategy is soil and water
built to preserve and add value to the agriculturalconservation. In order to avoid dependence on theproducts.
unreliable and inadequate rainfall, Eritrea has madeThe Eritrean spirit of self-reliance is also manifested
huge investment towards the construction of dams.
in the local production of pipes and accessories needed
In many parts of the country once dry areas havefor water distribution and spate irrigation.
been rehabilitated with the construction of hundredsof dams, micro-dams, reservoirs, check dams - all In all the programs and activities, the primary successwith local resources and capacity. In the past few factor is the active participation in and ownership byyears alone, a number of dams each with a capacity the local communities. Communities throughoutof storing tens of millions of cubic meters of water Eritrea participate in dam construction, catchment
have been built. Some of the newly built dams treatment and land care on a regular basis. Students at
include Gerset, Kerkebet, Fanko-Rawi, Fanko- high school level also participate through the summer
Tsimue and Badmit in the Western lowlands; and campaigns in the construction of terraces and checkMslam and Tekera in the Central Highlands. The dams, and tree planting.
Gahtelay Dam in the Eastern Escarpment is slated for The population that has put its sweat and resources tocompletion this year. The aggregate volume of water conserve each drop of water is now producing theharvested in these dams is around 250-300 million food it consumes irrespective of the vagaries of thecubic meters.
weather. Thus has freed itself from the shackles ofOn top of providing drinking water, the harvested food aid.
water is used for agricultural production. This is ena-

Vol 4. Issue 64, 13 March 2017

Page 4Eri-News

International Women’s Day: Progress, Change, Celebration
Excerpts from an article written by Dr. Fikrejesus
Amahazion
In Eritrea, International Women’s Day (IWD) is
recognized as a national public holiday and many
activities are held, across villages and cities in thecountry and within Eritrean communities around theworld.
According to the African Development Bank(AfDB), Eritrea has “gone a long way towards
achieving gender equality,” while in a report on
gender in Eritrea, the United Nations Development
Programme (UNDP), noted that “the Government of
the State of Eritrea (GSE) has demonstrated its value
for social justice and gender equality, which has inturn created an atmosphere conducive to genderequality, including through specific reference togender equality in policies and programs.”

Eritrea’s independence struggle was pivotal in challenging long held gender stereotypes and structural
systems of inequality. Eritrea’s three decades longstruggle was about far more than just political emancipation. Rather, it sought to usher in a complete andradical transformation of society. Accordingly, an
important dimension of the struggle – giving special
attention to egalitarian, popular democratic principles
and ideals – was a particular focus on women’s andgender-related issues. No longer would women be
narrowly viewed as secondary, subordinate figures
within society; instead, they would stand proudly as
full equals to men. For example, in the liberated areas
the Eritrean People’s Liberation Front (EPLF) introduced initiatives to abolish female genital mutilation/cutting (FGM/C), forced marriages, bride price, childmarriages, kidnappings, and dowries.

Importantly, within the annals of revolutionary liberation and guerrilla movements, Eritrea’s women wereset apart upon two dimensions – their role and theirnumber. During the war, Eritrean women comprised
more than 30 percent of the fighting force and they
served in all capacities. Ultimately, Eritrean women
would prove absolutely critical to the eventual
achievement of independence.
In honor and recognition of Eritrean women’smonumental contribution to the liberation struggle, thecountry undertook several significant steps after
independence to formally guarantee women’s equal
standing in all sectors of society. It ratified theConvention on the Rights of the Child (signed 20
December 1993 and ratified 3 August 1994), theConvention on the Elimination of All Forms ofDiscrimination against Women (acceded 5 September
1995), and the African Charter on Human andPeoples’ Rights (in 1999), and has worked diligentlyto implement the Beijing Platform for Action. Furthermore, Eritrea legally prohibited harmful, traditional
practices, including FGM/C, child marriage, bride
price, kidnappings, and dowry.

As well, the National Union of Eritrean Women(NUEW), an organization first established in the
1970s and boasting hundreds of thousands of members
worldwide, has actively coordinated, monitored, andimplemented a broad array of programs, initiatives,and public campaigns. Importantly, NUEW’smultifaceted work has substantively helped propelsocial transformation, develop a conducive environment for gender equality, support the empowerment ofwomen, and encourage women’s equal participation in
the political, economic, social, and cultural spheres.
(Cond. on page 5)

Vol 4. Issue 64, 13 March 2017

Page 5Eri-NewsInternational Women’s Day: Progress, Change, Celebration (Contd. from page 4)
Notably, towards improving gender equality, Eritrea
has made the expansion of educational opportunities
for females a national priority. For example, it has
worked to revise curricula and teaching materials to
make them gender sensitive, and improved accessibility by increasing the number of female teachersand establishing boarding schools for girls in remoteareas. Encouragingly, since independence, national
gender disparities in enrolment, completion, andliteracy have improved significantly. The 2013- 2017
Eritrea National Education Expansion Development
Report notes that “female gender parity with males
will be achieved in elementary and middle education
by 2015/16, and in secondary education by 2016,”
and that “in technical and vocational education andtraining the enrolment of girls has continued togrow.”

Furthermore, it should be noted that literacy rates foryoung girls and women in Eritrea are considerably
higher than those for adults, suggesting that thecountry’s efforts to strengthen the supply and qualityof basic education programmes, particularly forfemales, have been successful. These trends are
particularly impressive when considering that, in the
not so distant past, literacy throughout the country,
particularly for females, was tremendously low.
In addition to education, Eritrea’s general development policies have also served to support equality.
For example, consider access to water, which has
been a central focus of Eritrea’s national developmental objectives. In recent years, access to clean
drinking water in rural and urban communities in
Eritrea has risen to a total of 85%, dramatically high-er than the meager figure at the onset of independence.

Much of the country’s improvement is down toconsiderable investments, cooperative projects andintegrated approaches that cut across ministries andsectors, a simultaneously focus on both rural andurban populations, and broad community involvement.
Notably, the lack of access to water is not just a fundamental human rights issue, it also extends to harmefforts to promote gender equality and women’sempowerment, therefore additionally severely limiting
potential for broad development. Girls spending
valuable time fetching water may not attend school,
thus missing out on education that may propel socioeconomic transformation, while women who spend
hours fetching water have less time to engage inproductive income-generating work and activities.
Importantly, particularly when considering the themeof this year’s IWD, Eritrea’s attention to genderequality has also extended to the employment andeconomic sectors. National Labour and Land Reform
Proclamations secure legal protection for women in
employment, guarantee women equal opportunities
and maternal protection benefits, and ensure thatwomen are able to purchase, use, or inherit land
without discrimination. Additionally, several nationalinitiatives, such as the Macro Policy, the Interim
Poverty Reduction Strategy Program, the National
Saving and Loan Program, the National Gender
Action Plan, and NUEW’s micro-credit programs
were specifically created to guarantee that women
would be adequately supported with the requisite
resources and vital technical training that would help
them fulfill their socioeconomic potential.
(Cond. on page 6)

Vol 4. Issue 64, 13 March 2017Page 6

Eri-News

International Women’s Day: Progress, Change, Celebration (Contd. from page 5)
The diverse efforts promoting equality, coupled withgradual – yet quite noticeable – societal culturalchanges, have seen women integrated into many
sectors of the economy, allowing them to play a vitalrole in the country’s development and progress. With
the majority of the Eritrea’s population residing
within rural and semirural areas, relying predominantly on agriculture, crop cultivation, and animalhusbandry for income, it is notable that many
Eritrean women now proudly own land. Women’sownership also extends to business, with a considerable proportion controlling small and medium-sizedenterprises. Moreover, women now constitute a large
segment of the workforce, and they remain very
active in the informal sector. While women havetraditionally been concentrated in manufacturing,such as the garment, leather, and tobacco industries,
through steady improvements and investment ineducation and human capital, and greater access toopportunity, they are gradually transitioning to high--skill sectors.
From the days of the long struggle and since
independence, Eritrea’s resilient women haveshattered outdated, patriarchal rules and notions
through their wholehearted participation, struggle,contributions, and sacrifice. Today, Eritrean womenare active within all areas of society and they contribute in many diverse ways, ultimately playing a crucialrole in the country’s socio-economic progress andoverall development.
This IWD (and every other day of the year), allow us
to recognize and appreciate the key roles played by
women in all sectors and begin to take tangible actions
to ensure an equitable, inclusive society.
The full article can be accessed at: http://
www.shabait.com/articles/nation-building/23570international-womens-day-progress-changecelebration-

Eritrean Cyclists Shine Across the GlobeTesfom Okubamariam Crowned African Cyclist of 2016
Eritrean cyclists garnered outstanding victories anddemonstrated superior performances in competitions
held in February and March 2017 in, among others,
the Tour of Oman, the African Cycling Championships in Egypt, Tour de Langkawi in Malaysia,
Tropicale Amissa Bongo in Gabon and Paris-Nice inFrance. Moreover, Tesfom Okubamariam received
the ‘African Cyclist of 2016’ Award in Libreville.

(Cond. on page 7)
Vol 4. Issue 64, 13 March 2017

Page 7

Eri-News

Eritrean Cyclists Shine Across the Globe (Cond. from page 6)

Vol 4. Issue 64, 13 March 2017