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Countries & Regions


Ethiopia

Ethiopia is Africa's oldest independent country with a population estimated at 85.8 million (UN, 2009) with a total area of 1.13 million sq km (437,794 sq miles). The capital is Addis Ababa. The major languages are Amharic, Oromo, Tigrinya and Somali.

Ethiopia has experienced periodic droughts and famines, a civil conflict and a border war with Eritrea. The most widespread manifestations of violence against women in Ethiopia are categorized under harmful traditional practices and include female genital mutilation (FGM), early marriage, forced marriage, polygamy, wife inheritance and denial of inheritance of land.

  • Ethiopia ratified The Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women (CEDAW) on September 10, 1981
  • Ethiopia doesn't have a National Action Plan on United Nations Security Council Resolution 1325 (UNSCR 1325)
  • Ethiopia had a UN peacekeeping mandate: United Nations Mission in Ethiopia and Eritrea (UNMEE) from July 2000 to July 2008

Sources:BBC; Amnesty International; UNIFEM

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  • February 20, 2012 (Capital)
    ETHIOPIA: Race to Empower Women in Addis Next Month The 9th Choice Women First 5Km run organized by Great Ethiopian Run will be held on Sunday March 11, 2012. The event is committed to empowering women and has grown from 5,000 participants to 9,000 in the past eight years. The event which is sponsored by various organizations including Choice, Plan International, Irish Aid, Concern and many others has become a popular annual women's festival in Ethiopia.
  • January 26, 2012 (Christian Post)
    ETHIOPIA: Ethiopian Christian Prisoners Assaulted, Strip-Searched in Saudi Arabia Saudi Arabian officials strip-searched 29 Christian women and assaulted six Christian men after arresting them for holding a prayer meeting at a private home in the western city of Jeddah, a Christian human rights advocacy group informed The Christian Post.
  • September 22, 2011 (Pambazuka News)
    EITHIOPIA: Violence Against Women On the Rise As Ethiopian women's rights organisations struggle to stay afloat following government legislation that prohibits them from receiving international funding, violence against women continues to rise, writes Billene Seyoum Woldeyes. But in the absence of social and institutional support, where can victims of gender-based violence turn to for help?
  • July 6, 2011 (Walta Information Center)
    ETHIOPIA: The plight of trafficking in persons: a global scene On several occasions, the Ethiopian media have reported about the prevalence of illegal trafficking in persons, mostly to the Middle East and Arabian Peninsula. The prevalence of illegal trafficking of children and women— both internal and translational crimes are grave concerns to Ethiopia. In ETV's Amharic news special reportage on 1st July, it was indicated that most Ethiopian women illegally trafficked to Dubai have been exposed to domestic violence. A woman approached by the reporter but sought anonymous said that she had suffered from injustices, denials of her eight month wages, her freedom of movement prohibited as she does not have resident permit. She added that she had been lured into the trap by the illegal employment broker in Addis Ababa. She says the trouble begins upon arrival at Dubai International Airport for trafficked women will encounter risks—labour exploitation, awaiting a different job environment and harassment. She was prohibited from returning home as she was unable to produce residential permit. This prompted me to write this piece.
  • June 21, 2011 (BBC)
    ETHIOPIA: Ethiopians Trapped in Yemen are Being Evacuated Nearly 2,000 Ethiopian migrants trapped in violence-hit Yemen are being evacuated, the International Organization for Migration (IOM) says.

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  • Strategic Initiative for Women in the Horn of Africa (SIHA)
    SIHA is advocating for social change and gender equality for men and women in the Horn of Africa and working specifically on: gender equality, eliminating violence against women and girls, promoting human rights, peace building and conflict transformation, enhancing women's leadership as well as political participation and production and dissemination of knowledge.

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Sources

BBC Countries Profiles

Amnesty International

United Nations Development Fund for Women (UNIFEM)

Security Council Resolution 1325 Translations


 

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