Challenges and Opportunities of Gender mainstreaming in Selected Office: The Case of Toke Kutaye Woreda, Western Shoa Zone in Oromia Regional State‖.

Abstract

The purpose of this study is to assess the challenges and opportunities of gender mainstreaming in Selected Office in Toke Kutaye Woreda, Western Shoa Zone in Oromia Regional State. A descriptive research design, which involved both quantitative and qualitative research approach was employed. The study was based on primary data collected from 48 experts in the selected government office. Additional information was also obtained from key informant interview and focus group discussion. The collected data were analyzed by IBM SPSS Version 23 statistical software program. A descriptive statistics like frequency, percentage, mean and standard deviation were used to summarize the data collected on the challenges and opportunities of Gender mainstreaming. The result indicated the existing gender mainstreaming practice was not satisfactory. Gender perspective is not integrated into on-going and future programs. There are no gender awareness trainings to encourage the development of correct attitude and there no enough funding to ensure proper implementation of gender mainstreaming policy. The study results that existing opportunities to mainstream gender issues in selected government offices are the prevalence of adopted gender mainstreaming strategies, gender perspective in the decisions making in the organization and there are policy environments, international and national instruments for gender mainstreaming. The study also confirmed that the challenges or constraints faced by selected offices in the process of gender mainstreaming lack of commitment and attention among the concerned bodies, the prevalence of lack of appropriate structure, lack of continuous access to gender awareness and sensitivity training and inadequacy of office programs that make it easier for women to balance their work and home responsibilities. The level of staff awareness on the implementation of gender mainstreaming was not satisfactory. Awareness is not created among male staff about the objectives of gender equality. The study concluded that gender mainstreaming practice in the study was not satisfactory. It is recommended that training and dissemination strategies should be adopted and implemented in government office.