18/08/2026
UEWCA Leads the Establishment of the National Civic Tech and Digital Rights CSO Coalition
Union of Ethiopian Women and Children Associations (UEWCA) successfully conducted a two-day National Workshop on Establishing the National Civic Tech and Digital Rights CSO Coalition among Women Civil Society Organizations (CSOs) from 27–28 July 2026 at Harmony Hotel in Addis Ababa. The workshop brought together women-led CSOs from UEWCA's member organizations to strengthen collaboration in promoting civic technology, digital rights, and inclusive digital governance.
The workshop was officially opened by UEWCA Executive Director, W/ro Azeb Kelemwork, who welcomed participants and emphasized the importance of collective action in addressing emerging digital challenges and advancing women's meaningful participation in Ethiopia's digital transformation. She also highlighted the need for stronger collaboration among women-led CSOs to promote digital rights and build an inclusive digital ecosystem. Participants were introduced to the workshop objectives, expected outputs, and the interactive approach that guided the two-day event.
Throughout the workshop, participants actively engaged in presentations, interactive discussions, and group work on Ethiopia's digital civic space, digital rights, and civic technology. They shared experiences on the digital challenges affecting women-led CSOs and explored practical strategies for strengthening collaboration, promoting digital inclusion, and enhancing civic participation through technology.
The workshop also provided an opportunity for participating organizations to collectively define the coalition's identity, vision, mission, core values, and governance framework. Participants identified the coalition's priority areas, including legal and policy advocacy, strategic engagement with government institutions and other duty bearers. They also discussed membership eligibility, the roles and responsibilities of member organizations, and the overall responsibilities of the coalition. These discussions provided valuable input for the development of the coalition's Memorandum of Understanding (MoU).
On the second day, participants reviewed and discussed the draft Memorandum of Understanding (MoU), reached a common understanding on the proposed collaboration framework, and reaffirmed their commitment to working together to advance digital rights and civic technology initiatives across Ethiopia. Participants also elected the coalition's Steering Committee, including the Chairperson, Deputy Chairperson, and Secretary, as well as Cluster Coordinators to lead the thematic areas of Digital Rights and Policy Advocacy, Civic Technology and Innovation, Capacity Building and Knowledge Management, and Resource Mobilization.
Finally, the workshop concluded with closing remarks that marked an important milestone toward establishing a strong national network of women-led CSOs committed to promoting safe, inclusive, and rights-based digital spaces across Ethiopia. UEWCA extends its sincere appreciation to all participating Civil Society Organizations for their active engagement and valuable contributions to the success of the workshop.
https://www.uewca.net/2026/06/16/news-updates/
