THE MILLENUM DEVELOPMENT GOALS AND THE STATUS OF GENDER DISPARITY IN ETHIOPIA: ACHIEVEMENTS AND CHALLENGES Solomon Gebreyohans Gebru 1 and Memar Ayalew Demeke 2 Abstract Recognizing the magnitude of the global gender gap and its unbearable consequences, the UN included the promotion of gender equality and women’s empowerment as one of its 8 Millennium Development Goals (MDGs), declared in 2000. Ethiopia adopted the MDGs and has been incorporating them into its consecutive Core Strategic Polices, with the commitment to realize them by 2015. This study was intended to see whether Ethiopia is on track to meet the globally adopted goals by the deadline, with particular reference to gender and to analyse the achievements Ethiopia has made so far and the challenges ahead in achieving gender equality. Both descriptive and analytical methods were employed and a triangular approach was used in analysing data. The status of gender gap in Ethiopia was analysed using the Global Gender Gap Index. The study found that though Ethiopia may not be able to achieve the gender related MDG by the deadline; it has made a significant progress in reducing gender disparity over the last decade. Limited enforcement capacity and gender disaggregated data; significant gender gap at secondary and tertiary level of education and political offices; deep rooted gender insensitive social values and political culture remain as challenges. It is argued that addressing these challenges and identifying Gender Practical and Strategic Needs down at community level, could be instrumental in narrowing the gap. Besides, strengthening the recently introduced Gender Responsive Budgeting approach, enhancing the pro- poor policy in general and adopting the Gender and Development policy approach in particular, could be instrumental in closing the gender gap in Ethiopia, in the near future. Key words: Ethiopia, Gender, Gender Policy, Global Gender Disparity Index, and Millennium Development Goals. 1. Introduction Long before the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) were designed in 2000, the United Nations (UN) and its agencies had been working to narrow down the gender gap in the world, recognizing that resources, power and knowledge have not be equally shared by the two sexes. Thus, when 189 UN member states adopted the Millennium Declaration in 2000, politicians and experts were clear that 1 Solomon Gebreyohans Gebru (principal author) is a lecturer at the Department of Political Science and Strategic Studies, Mekelle University, Mekelle, Ethiopia, solomongg@rocketmail.com or solomongg80@gmail.com 2 Memar Ayalew Demeke (co-author) is a lecturer at Addis Ababa Science and Technology University, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, ayalewmemar@ gmail.com 1