Behind the Scenes Ethiopia Project

Inception Workshop was held

A very successful inception workshop for the new research initiative entitled "Behind the Scenes: Young Women and Gender-Based Inequities in Africa’s Creative Sector" was held on March 21, 2024 at Saphire Hotel, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. This project is being implemented by the Organization for Social Science Research in Eastern and Southern Africa (OSSREA), in collaboration with the International Center for Research on Women (ICRW), and financially supported by the Mastercard Foundation. The primary goal of this research is to generate evidence, bolster research capabilities, and advocate for policy and workplace interventions to address the marginalization faced by young female creatives within the creative sector.

The workshop convened about 42 participants, including representatives from government and non-governmental organizations, academic institutions, various professional associations within the creative sectors, members of the project's national advisory board, ICRW and OSSREA delegates, and other stakeholders. Of the attendees, 25 were female mostly young women.

The main objective of the inception workshop was to secure buy-in and align the project's objectives with the activities of stakeholders. The gathering aimed to foster enhanced coordination and collaboration among all involved parties to drive substantial changes concerning gender inequalities prevalent in Ethiopia's creative sector.

Dr. Truphena Mukuna, Executive Director of OSSREA, delivered the opening address at the workshop. Dr. Mukuna extended a warm welcome to all participants on behalf of OSSREA, an institution dedicated to promoting social science research in the region since its establishment in 1980. She highlighted OSSREA's longstanding commitment to advancing knowledge and fostering collaboration among researchers in Eastern and Southern Africa over the past four decades. Dr. Mukuna underscored OSSREA's excitement about the "Behind the Scenes" project, emphasizing its potential to illuminate critical issues affecting young women in the creative sector and pave the way for transformative change. She expressed her anticipation for fruitful deliberations, insightful discussions, and valuable contributions from all workshop attendees.

Subsequently, Professor Genet Tadele, Principal Investigator of the Behind the Scenes Ethiopia Project, expressed his sincere gratitude to all participants and extended a special welcome to the Advisory Board members in his opening remarks. Prof. Getnet emphasized the pivotal role of Advisory Board members and stakeholders in catalysing a movement aimed at unlocking the immense talent and untapped potential of young females while addressing gender-based inequities. He articulated that the project's mission is spotlighting challenges faced by young women, amplifying their voices, and envisioning a future where opportunities are equally accessible to all. Prof. Getnet underscored that despite Ethiopia's rich cultural heritage, barriers persist for young women in the creative industry, underscoring the need for collective action and unwavering commitment to inclusivity and diversity.

Professor Getnet called upon stakeholders, leaders, advisory board members, and all present to join forces in dismantling barriers and forging an inclusive, equitable, and just path forward.
Following the opening remarks, Mr. Venantius B Kirwana, a Monitoring and Evaluation specialist from ICRW, expressed gratitude to the project team for organizing the successful inception workshop. He provided background information on ICRW, its aims, vision, mission, operational area, and future plans.

Next, Professor Getnet introduced the National Advisory Board members of the Behind the Scenes Ethiopia project to the workshop participants. He also provided a brief overview of each advisory board member's background, academic and professional experiences.

Subsequently, Eyerusalem Kassahun, the Country PI of the Behind the Scenes Ethiopia project, delivered a comprehensive presentation on the project. Initially, Eyerusalem presented a general background on the creative sectors and highlighted associated gender inequalities. She then elaborated on the objectives and research questions of the Behind the Scenes project. Eyerusalem also outlined the partner institutions involved in the research project, its duration, and the potential contributions of the creative sectors in the seven African countries where the project is being implemented. Furthermore, she detailed the methodology, research design, and various data collection instruments utilized in the project. Eyerusalem also identified key stakeholders, including individuals, institutions, and associations, who will play crucial roles in the research project's success. Finally, she outlined the key deliverables expected from the project.

Following Eyerusalem's presentation, the floor was opened for plenary discussion and questions. Workshop participants posed important questions and provided comments to the project team. Eyerusalem and Professor Getnet addressed these questions and comments accordingly.

After the coffee break, a breakout session was organized, and workshop participants were randomly divided into four diverse groups. Each group was tasked with reviewing and redefining the research questions and objectives, identifying and prioritizing the creative sectors in Ethiopia, suggesting on how to meaningfully engage policy actors and implementers, discussing the challenges and opportunities in the creative sector, and determining how they could contribute to the success of the project.

The participants engaged warmly and passionately in discussing each question in detail. Representatives from each group then presented the key points that transpired from the discussions in the plenary. . The insights and inputs provided by the workshop participants will be utilized to contextualize the project within Ethiopian context.

In conclusion, Prof. Getnet emphasized that all the feedback given by the participants will be used to refine the proposal and make it context specific. He also noted that this is just the beginning of this project (and not the end) and pleaded the audience to actively and meaningfully participate in the project in the next three years. Finally, he expressed gratitude to the workshop participants, his team, ICRW, the Mastercard Foundation, and OSSREA for their support in organizing and funding the project. With this, the workshop came to an end.