Eritrean women in the United Kingdom (showed their solidarity) on Saturday 12 March 2022 celebrated the International Women Day in London, Manchester, Birmingham, Sheffield, Newcastle, Nottingham, Cardiff, Middlesbrough, Coventry and Leeds, amid a variety of cultural activities, music poetry and other presentations.“Principled Belief for Timely Imperative!” became the resounding message of the moment in all the celebrations conducted.
Eritrean women who played a vital role in the 30 year Liberation Struggle for independence continue to contribute significantly to Eritrea’s social, economic and political development.
The celebrations in London, portray the great admiration and respect all Eritreans have for their gallant mothers and sisters. The celebrations in London began with a moment of silence in remembrance of those who gave their lives for Eritrea’s freedom. Following that Mrs. Elsa Abraha, Chairperson of NUEW-UK Branch welcomed everyone and presented the Official NUEW statement on the occasion.
Speaking at the celebration in which invited guests and hundreds of citizens took part, H.E.Estifanos Habtemariam, Eritrean Ambassador to United Kingdom & Ireland highlighted the unparalleled contribution and heroism manifested by the Eritrean women in achieving the independence of the country, national development and safeguarding the nation’s sovereignty.
He said during the 30 years war for independence about a third of the Eritrean People’s Liberation Army members were women. In that bitter struggle Eritrean women were front and center of the struggle. Through their equal participation they proved that they were capable of doing anything their male comrades were capable of doing. In short there was no sphere of the struggle where women didn’t play pivotal roles. Many Eritrean women were also the backbone of the EPLF mass organizations inside and outside Eritrea. Thanks to the sacrifices of these brave daughters of Eritrea, Eritrean society has been transformed.
Finally Ambassador Estifanos Habtemariam, congratulated the NUEW for its decisive role in building a new Eritrea leading based on sender equality.
Today more than thirty percent (30%) of national, regional and local assembly seats are reserved for women. Women also have the opportunity to compete for the remaining 70% of the seats. As a result of this progressive policy the NUEW continues to register a noticeable change. In addition, the NUEW has also registered a significant progress towards achieving the Beijing and UN millennium ahead of many of African countries. Eritrean women’s readiness to play exemplary role, taking concerted action through strengthening their organizational basis and capacity.
According to reports dispatched Eritrean women in Manchester, Birmingham, Sheffield, Newcastle, Nottingham, Middlesbrough, Cardiff, Coventry and Leeds, similarly celebrated the day in a colourful manner, expressed the readiness of members of the Union for the success of the national resolute rebuff. Representatives of National Association in the UK, congratulated the Eritrean women for all the hard works and outlined the many achievements made and challenges faced by the Eritrean women in the struggle to build a new nation based on equality and progress.
Also at the celebrations held in all UK chapters, members of the NUEW branch asserted that the Day plays significant role in assessing the achievements and the challenges of the struggle waged by women to ensure their rights and roles in the Eritrean society. On the occasion veteran founders of the NUEWs used this celebration to pass on the torch to Eritrea’s new generation of women as a symbol of the need to transfer the basic values as cultural heritage. Poetry, with music by artists from UK entertained the guests all night.
Source: Dehai Eritrea Online
