Biqila Hirpa Bedasa is a researcher, Monitoring, Evaluation, Accountability and Learning (MEAL) specialist, and development professional with extensive experience in strategic planning, program evaluation, and socio-economic research. He holds a Master of Science in Development Studies from Addis Ababa University and a Bachelor of Arts in Economics from Haramaya University, Ethiopia. With experience spanning academia, research institutions, consulting firms, and non-governmental organizations, Biqila has worked as a lecturer, research analyst, consultant, and MEAL professional. His areas of expertise include gender-transformative programming, agricultural commercialization, women's empowerment, leadership and organizational performance, employee engagement, and monitoring and evaluation. He has contributed to numerous national and international research and evaluation projects and has published scholarly work on gender empowerment, leadership, and employee engagement. Through his research and professional practice, he is committed to promoting evidence-based decision-making, sustainable development, and inclusive organizational and community development.

Transforming Gender Norms Through Social Analysis and Action: A Participatory Approach to Gender Empowerment AbstractThe objective of the study is to explore the progress in gender empowerment attributable to the Resilience in Pastoral Areas (RiPA) program, which employed Social Analysis and Action (SAA) and male engagement as participatory approaches to gender empowerment. A qualitative technique and purposive sampling were employed to select participants for the focus group discussions (FGD). Twenty-one FGDs were conducted with RiPA beneficiaries from Oromia, Afar, and Somali regions who were highly involved in the project and familiar with its activities. The participants raised their hands to rate the level of progress for each gender empowerment domain and provide their insights on the external factors, the enabling environment, and barriers affecting the program outcomes. The study utilized percentages, graphs, and tables to show the proportion of groups noting progress in each gender empowerment domain. The content analysis examined the participants’ insights on progress, the enabling factors, and barriers to gender outcome indicators. Findings reveal notable short-term and medium-term gains in gender empowerment but limited long-term, transformative changes due to persistent gender norms, cultural and religious beliefs, high illiteracy, weak resource base, and limited access to credit services. The study highlighted the need for intensified and coordinated actions to bring transformative changes. It also calls for sustained collaboration among men, women, government, NGOs, and local communities, urging these stakeholders to align their efforts and collaborate harmoniously to foster more transformative and lasting changes in women's empowerment. Keywords: Male engagement, Gender Empowerment, Social Analysis and Action, Content Analysis