Laws enacted by the House of peoples’ Representatives have immensely contributed to the respect of democratic and human rights as well as women’s equality and benefits, speaker expressed.

The speaker of the House of Peoples’ Representatives Ambassador Teshome Toga has disclosed this on 9 March 2008 while addressing the panel discussion organized by the Ministry of Women’s Affairs, Women’s Affairs Standing Committee of the House and Women Parliamentary Caucus of the House of Peoples’ Representative celebrating March 8 in the Premises of the House as part of the International Women’s Day.

Ambassador Teshome said that laws legislated by the House have positive repercussions to the causes of the respect of democratic and human rights, and rights of women’s participation in all development sectors with equal benefits.

Furthermore, Ethiopia has taken policy and legal measures to achieve the vision, mission, objectives and goals framed as regards gender equality, and equitable benefits, the speaker underscored.

Besides, to play vital roles in building democracy, to ensure peace, prevalence of good governance, economic development and gender equality, women’s voluntary participation is essential, he underlined.

Moreover, the decentralized system of administration that has been established in woreda and kebele levels enabled women to participate in the prevailing development endeavors, the speaker underlined.

In addition, women should vote for the political parties that would defend the causes for the respect of women’s rights to be realized at grassroots level, the speaker said.

Meanwhile, during the Panel discussion, deliberations have been conducted on the papers entitled “The Achievement of Ethiopian Women Peasants and Pastoralists, Environmental Protection and the Role of Economic Development for Women,” among others.

It was known that, March 8 as part of the International Women’s Day has been celebrated in Ethiopia for 32nd time and internationally for the 97th time with the national motto: “Women shall realize the renaissance of Ethiopia in the new Millennium through active Participation in development and good governance making themselves beneficiary”.