Gender Equality in Ethiopia

  • Edit
  • Discuss
  • History
From wikigender.org
Jump to: navigation, search



Ethiopia
flag_Ethiopia.png
Flag of Ethiopia
Population (in Mil.) 84.73
Gross Domestic Product (In USD Billions - WB) 30.25
Sex Ratio (m/f) 0.97
Life Expectancy Ratio (f/m) 1.054
Fertility Rate 6.02
Income Ratio (f/m) 0.67
Literacy Ratio (f/m) 0.46
Tertiary Enrolment Ratio (f/m) 0.35
Women in Parliament (in %) 21.9
INDICES
Human Development Index 174/169
Social Institutions and Gender Index 64/86
Gender Inequality Index - /138
Gender Equity Index 112/157
Women’s Economic Opportunity Index 107/113
Global Gender Gap Index 121/134
More information on variables

Contents

Social Institutions

With the exception of a short period of Italian occupation (1936-41), Ethiopia has always been an independent country.[1] From 1974 to 1991, the country was ruled by military junta. This period saw civil conflict, repeated famines, and repression.[2] Since then, the country has been relatively stable, although war with neighbouring Eritrea (which became independent from Ethiopia following a referendum in 1993) over border demarcation in the late 1990s saw tens of thousands of people killed.[3] Conflict continues in the Ogadan region in eastern Ethiopia, between government forces and Ogaden National Liberation Front (ONLF), a largely ethnic Somali insurgent group. Ethiopia is one of Africa’s poorest states. Its economy is heavily reliant on agriculture, which results in severe food shortages when the rains fail.[4] Ethiopia is classed as a low-income country by the World Bank.[5] Despite recently introduced policy instruments and legislative commitments designed to serve women’s interests and a Constitution that guarantees women the same rights and protections as men, gender gaps in education, economic empowerment and political participation.[6] A vast majority of Ethiopian women, particularly in rural areas, are gravely affected by poverty.[7][8] Ethiopia ratified the Convention on the Elimination of All forms of Discrimination Against Women in 1981, but has not yet ratified the CEDAW Optional Protocol.[9] The country has signed but not ratified the Protocol to the African Charter on Human and People’s Rights on the Rights of Women in Africa.[10] The 2011 Human Development Report ranks Ethiopia in 174th place (out of a total of 187 countries), with a score of 0.363.[11] The country was not ranked in the most recent Gender Inequality Index.[12] Ethiopia is ranked in 116th place in the 2011 Global Gender Index (out of a total of 135 countries), with a score of 0.6136.[13]

Discriminatory Family Code

In early 2001, the federal government enacted a new Family Code based on the principle of gender equality.[14] Its effect has been limited in that the Constitution gives full sovereignty to most regions, and most had not passed similar applicable laws.[15] According to its 7th report to the CEDAW Committee, Ethiopia declared that all regions now have Family Codes that guarantee women’s equality in marriage and family relations.[16] According to the 2001 Family Code, the minimum age for marriage in Ethiopia is 18 years.[17] Early marriage is nevertheless common, particularly in rural areas, and affects children far younger than the legal age. The situation is exacerbated by the fact that birth dates are rarely recorded and parents’ declarations of their children’s ages are accepted at face value. Rates of early marriage are high but have fallen recently. From 2000 to 2005, the incidence of girls between the ages of 15 and 19 years of age who were married, divorced or widowed declined from 30 to 27 %.[18] Young motherhood is considered one of the main causes for Ethiopia’s high levels of maternal mortality. Although a criminal offence, and despite the government’s efforts to effect its eradication, the practice of abducting young women for marriage purposes still occurs in parts of Southern and Eastern Ethiopia.[19] The 2005 DHS found that 8 % of the women they surveyed had been married in this fashion,[20] while Ethiopia states in its 2009 CEDAW report that national prevalence has dropped from 23 % in 1997 to 12.7 % in 2007.[21] Polygamy is a criminal offence, backed by sanctions outlined in the Penal Code. The 2005 DHS estimated that 6.5 % of marriages in Ethiopia are polygamous.[22] With regards to parental authority, the 1960 Civil Code recognised the husband as the legal head of the family and the sole guardian of children older than five years.[23]This provision was changed in the 2001 Family Code, which granted equal rights to both parents but problems of enforcement remain. In the case of divorce, children typically remain with their mother until the age of five. Although Article 35 of the Constitution grants women and men equal rights in matters of inheritance, traditional customs usually pass land to sons, on the grounds that daughters eventually move to their husbands’ homes. It is known that some customs require widows to marry a male relative of the deceased spouse.[24]

Restricted Physical Integrity

The 2005 Penal Code establishes as new penalties for rape of between 5 and 20 years imprisonment. Formerly, men could avoid this charge if they married the victim (spousal rape is not considered a crime). The new Code repealed this provision, but fails to invalidate earlier marriages contracted on this basis.[25] Domestic violence is a criminal offence under the criminal code, with punishments including fines and imprisonment of up to 15 years.[26] Police are also expected to undergo training on domestic violence issues from women’s NGOs or the Ministry of Women’s Affairs. The penal code also criminalises sexual harassment (with imprisonment of up to 2 years), but the law is not effectively enforced.[27]

Violence against women is widespread and abuses, including wife beating and spousal rape, are pervasive social problems with wide acceptance. A 2009 WHO study found that 70 % of Ethiopian women suffered physical violence from their husband or partner at some point in their life, and over 50 % had suffered physical violence in the preceding 12 months.[28] The 2005 DHS found that, when presented with a list of five reasons for which a man might be justified in beating his wife, 81 % of women surveyed agreed with at least one of the reasons.[29] Thus, even though they have recourse through the police, strong societal norms and lack of access to relevant infrastructure prevent many women from seeking legal redress.[30] Accurate up-to-date data regarding the number of reported cases of rape and sexual assault are also not available. A report by a national women’s organisation referred to in the US Department of State’s 2010 Human Rights report stated that in 2005, 938 incidents of rape were reported in the capital Addis Ababa, but only 103 offenders were punished: these figures are likely to be much lower than the actual incidence of rape, given societal and family pressure on victims of sexual violence to remain silent, and lack of awareness of the law.[31]

As elsewhere, sexual violence (predominantly against women) was a feature of the conflict between Ethiopia and Eritrea in the 1990s, and continues to be reported in the Ogadan region.[32] According to Human Rights Watch, ‘systematic’ rape has been a feature of the government’s counter-insurgency strategy in the region since 2007, directed against women suspected of having links to the Ogaden National Liberation Front.[33]

Even though the new Penal Code criminalises female genital mutilation (FGM) by imprisonment of no less than three months or a fine of at least ETB 500 (USD 58), it is estimated that between 70 and 80 % of Ethiopia’s female population is subject to the practice.[34] Genital infibulation (the closing of the outer lips of the vulva) is also punishable by law, with imprisonment of five to ten years. To date, there have been no criminal prosecutions for practising FGM, although according to various sources, public support among women for the procedure, as well as the overall percentage of women who have experienced FGM, is declining.[35]

Abortion is legal in cases of rape and incest, where the woman’s health is in danger, and in cases of foetal impairment.[36] The contraceptive prevalence rate among married Ethiopian women remains very low. According to a 2011 Demographic and Health Survey (DHS), 28.6% of married women were currently using contraception as a means of family planning, with 27.3% using a modern method.[37] Women in Ethiopia do not have the reproductive freedom to make family planning decisions on their own: according to a report published by the Japanese International Cooperation Agency (JICA), only about one in four women is able to make a decision regarding family planning without the consent of her husband.[38] The 2011 DHS found that almost 25.3% of women were classified as having an unmet need for family planning services, either to limit the number of children they bore, or to increase the length of time between births.[39]

Son Bias

According to the 2011 DHS, in the families surveyed, 23.1% of boys under the age of 2 had had the full range of vaccinations, compared to 25.7% of girls.[40] Rates of malnutrition were also slightly higher for boys.[41]It appears that there is no evidence of son preference with respect to early childhood care and nutrition. According to the World Economic Forum in 2011, there remains a gender gap in primary and secondary education, indicating that there may be a slight preference towards sons with access to education.[42] The male/female sex ratio for the total population in 2012 is 0.97.[43] There is no evidence to suggest that Ethiopia is a country of concern in relation to missing women.

Restricted Resources and Entitlements

Women’s ownership rights are limited in Ethiopia, although land reforms enacted in March 1997 have improved access to land by stipulating that women have the right to lease land from the government, a right that is given to them in the Federal Constitution.[44] Ethiopian law presumes joint or communal property as the default regime, and married couples may acquire and title land jointly.[45] In fact, during a land redistribution exercise carried out in the Amhara Region, almost 130 000 poor rural women became landowners. In some regions Ethiopia is conducting a program to introduce the joint titling of household land to ensure women’s access and use.[46] Despite these reforms, it is frequently the case that women’s only chance to access land is through marriage. Women who separate from their husbands are likely to lose their houses and property, and when a husband dies, other family members often claim the land over his widow.[47] The 2005 DHS reports that 20 % of widows reported being dispossessed of their land.[48] Traditionally, only the head of the household can be a landowner. A 2007 report places the number of female landholders at 18.1 %.[49] However, Ethiopia reports in its 2009 CEDAW report that 29 % of rural landowners are households headed by women.[50] Under the new Family Code, previous requirements that husbands should have unique control over common property have been removed. Common property is now to be administered jointly by both spouses.[51]

Ethiopian women have only limited access to bank loans. Public financing for women may be granted to female heads of households who own land; by contrast, married women who wish to obtain loans must first seek permission from their husbands. Due to lack of access to larger amounts of credit, women turn to community-based revolving credit/savings groups and micro-credit enterprises to finance household needs.[52]

Restricted Civil Liberties

Freedom of movement for everyone is restricted in certain parts of Ethiopia, on the pretext of national security concerns.[53] There do not appear to be any legal restrictions specifically on women’s freedom of access to public space; however, some women may face restrictions on a day-to-day basis: of women surveyed in the 2005 DHS, 20.8% reported that their husband had the final say on whether they were able to go and visit family or relatives.[54]Freedom of speech, assembly and association are all limited in Ethiopia, with much of the media under government control, and a new law introduced in 2009 which severely restricts the activities of NGOs.[55] Women in Ethiopia have the same rights as men to vote and stand for election to political office.[56] Ethiopia has made recent gains in the level of political participation among women. The %age of women in the Federal Parliament has risen from 7.7 in 2003 to 21.3 as of December 2009.[57] As of 2009, 13 % of the top position in both the executive and judicial branches were held by women; among higher-level positions below the Ministers and Judges, women held 26.6 %.[58] Rising female rates of political participation correspond to recent survey data showing an increase in acceptance of women politicians. According to a 2007 World Values Survey, more than 77 % of respondents either disagreed or disagreed strongly with the statement, ‘Men make better political leaders than women do.’[59] Similarly, the Pew Global Attitudes Project found that while 51 % of respondents thought that men make better political leaders than women, 45 % thought that men and women were equally capable.[60] Employed women in Ethiopia are entitled to 90 days of paid maternity leave, with their employer covering the entire cost of their benefits, which are 100 % of their wages.[61] However, women only account for around 30 % of the formal employment sector in Ethiopia, and many work in rural, agricultural settings and are not paid in cash wages.[62] According to the 2005 DHS, 60 % of employed women received no pay.[63]While no official statistics exist, these circumstances would indicate that the number of women who receive maternity benefits in Ethiopia is low.

References

  1. ↑ Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) (2011) The World Factbook: Ethiopia,Washington, DC: CIA, Online Edition, https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/geos/et.html (accessed 8 november 2011)
  2. ↑ BBC (n.d.) ‘Ethiopia profile’, BBC News, http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-africa-13349398 (accessed 8 November 2011)
  3. ↑ BBC (n.d.) ‘Ethiopia profile’, BBC News, http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-africa-13349398 (accessed 8 November 2011)
  4. ↑ Arrieff, Alexis (2009) ‘Sexual Violence in African Conflicts’, Washington, D.C., Congressional Research Service. http://www.stoprapenow.org/uploads/advocacyresources/1282163655.pdf), p.5
  5. ↑ BBC (n.d.) ‘Ethiopia profile’, BBC News, http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-africa-13349398 (accessed 8 November 2011)
  6. ↑ BBC (n.d.) ‘Ethiopia profile’, BBC News, http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-africa-13349398 (accessed 8 November 2011); World Bank (n.d.); 35 of the Constitution of the Federal Democratic Republic of Ethiopia, adopted 8 December 1994.
  7. ↑ World Economic Forum (2011) The Global Gender Gap Report 2011, available at http://www3.weforum.org/docs/WEF_GenderGap_Report_2011.pdf, accessed 2 March 2012.
  8. ↑ Article 35 of the Constitution of the Federal Democratic Republic of Ethiopia, adopted 8 December 1994.
  9. ↑ United Nations Treaty Collection (UNTC) (2011): Convention on the Elimination of All forms of Discrimination Against Women, countries ratified.
  10. ↑ African Union (2010) ‘List of countries which have signed, ratified/acceded to the Protocol to the African Charter on Human and Peoples’ Rights on the Rights of Women in Africa’ (as of 27 August 2010). http://www.africa-union.org/root/au/Documents/Treatie
  11. ↑ United Nations Development Programme (2011) Human Development Report 2011, available at http://hdr.undp.org/en/media/HDR_2011_EN_Complete.pdf, accessed 29 February 2012. p.129
  12. ↑ United Nations Development Programme (2011) Human Development Report 2011, available at http://hdr.undp.org/en/media/HDR_2011_EN_Complete.pdf, accessed 29 February 2012. p.142
  13. ↑ World Economic Forum (2011) The Global Gender Gap Report 2011, available at http://www3.weforum.org/docs/WEF_GenderGap_Report_2011.pdf, accessed 2 March 2012. p.11
  14. ↑ Committee on the Elimination of Discrimination against Women (CEDAW) (2002), Consideration of Reports Submitted by States Parties Under Article 18 of the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women: Ethiopia, Combined Fourth and Fifth Periodic Reports of States Parties, CEDAW/C/ETH/4-5, CEDAW, New York, NY., p. 8.
  15. ↑ CEDAW (2004a), Summary Record of the 645th Meeting, CEDAW/C/SR.645, CEDAW, New York, NY.,p. 3
  16. ↑ CEDAW (2009), Consideration of Reports Submitted by States Parties Under Article 18 of the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women: Ethiopia, Combined Sixth and Seventh Periodic Reports of States Parties, CEDAW/C/ETH/6-7, CEDAW, New York, NY. p. 82.
  17. ↑ CEDAW (2009), Consideration of Reports Submitted by States Parties Under Article 18 of the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women: Ethiopia, Combined Sixth and Seventh Periodic Reports of States Parties, CEDAW/C/ETH/6-7, CEDAW, New York, NY. p. 82.
  18. ↑ United Nations (2004) p. 118; UN (2008)
  19. ↑ CEDAW (2009), Consideration of Reports Submitted by States Parties Under Article 18 of the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women: Ethiopia, Combined Sixth and Seventh Periodic Reports of States Parties, CEDAW/C/ETH/6-7, CEDAW, New York, NY, pp. 83-84
  20. ↑ Central Statistical Office (CSO) and ORC MACRO (2006), Ethiopia Demographic And Health Survey 2005, CSO, ORC Macro: Addis Ababa, Ethiopia & Calverton, Maryland, Table 16.17.
  21. ↑ CEDAW (2009), Consideration of Reports Submitted by States Parties Under Article 18 of the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women: Ethiopia, Combined Sixth and Seventh Periodic Reports of States Parties, CEDAW/C/ETH/6-7, CEDAW, New York, NY p. 21.
  22. ↑ Central Statistical Office (CSO) and ORC MACRO (2006), Ethiopia Demographic And Health Survey 2005, Cso, Orc Macro: Addis Ababa, Ethiopia & Calverton, Maryland, Table 6.2.
  23. ↑ World Bank (1999), Gender and Law: Eastern Africa Speaks, Washington, D.C., World Bank p. 140.
  24. ↑ CEDAW (2009), Consideration of Reports Submitted by States Parties Under Article 18 of the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women: Ethiopia, Combined Sixth and Seventh Periodic Reports of States Parties, CEDAW/C/ETH/6-7, CEDAW, New York, NY, p. 67. Economic Commission for Africa (ECA) (2009a), p. 69.
  25. ↑ Economic Commission for Africa (ECA) (2009a) African Women’s Report 2009: Measuring Gender Inequality in Africa: Experiences and Lessons from the African Gender and Development Index, ECA: Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, p. 69.
  26. ↑ US Department of State (2010), 2009 Country Reports on Human Rights Practices: Ethiopia, US Department of State, Bureau of Democracy, Human Rights and Labor, Washington, DC.
  27. ↑ US Department of State (2010), 2009 Country Reports on Human Rights Practices: Ethiopia, US Department of State, Bureau of Democracy, Human Rights and Labor, Washington, DC.
  28. ↑ World Health Organization (WHO) (2009), Women and Health: Today’s Evidence, Tomorrow’s Agenda, p. 56.
  29. ↑ Central Statistical Office (CSO) and ORC MACRO (2006), Ethiopia Demographic And Health Survey 2005, Cso, Orc Macro: Addis Ababa, Ethiopia & Calverton, Maryland, Table 16.7.1.
  30. ↑ US Department of State (2010), 2009 Country Reports on Human Rights Practices: Ethiopia, US Department of State, Bureau of Democracy, Human Rights and Labor, Washington, DC.
  31. ↑ US Department of State (2010), 2009 Country Reports on Human Rights Practices: Ethiopia, US Department of State, Bureau of Democracy, Human Rights and Labor, Washington, DC.
  32. ↑ Arrieff, Alexis (2009) ‘Sexual Violence in African Conflicts’, Washington, D.C., Congressional Research Service. http://www.stoprapenow.org/uploads/advocacyresources/1282163655.pdf), p.1, 3, 5
  33. ↑ Human Rights Watch (2008) ‘Collective Punishment: War Crimes and Crimes against Humanity in the Ogaden area of Ethiopia’s Somali Region’, New York: Human Rights Watch
  34. ↑ World Health Organization (WHO) (2008), cited in Economic Commission for Africa (ECA) (2009a) African Women’s Report 2009: Measuring Gender Inequality in Africa: Experiences and Lessons from the African Gender and Development Index, ECA: Addis Ababa, Ethiopia., p. 55; Central Statistical Office (CSO) AND ORC MACRO (2006), Ethiopia Demographic And Health Survey 2005, CSO, ORC Macro: Addis Ababa, Ethiopia & Calverton, Maryland, Table 16.13, found that 74.3 of women surveyed had undergone FGM.
  35. ↑ Central Statistical Office (CSO) and ORC MACRO (2006), Ethiopia Demographic And Health Survey 2005, Cso, Orc Macro: Addis Ababa, Ethiopia & Calverton, Maryland, Table 16.13; CEDAW (2009), Consideration of Reports Submitted by States Parties Under Article 18 of the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women: Ethiopia, Combined Sixth and Seventh Periodic Reports of States Parties, CEDAW/C/ETH/6-7, CEDAW, New York, NY, p. 20; US Department of State (2010), 2009 Country Reports on Human Rights Practices: Ethiopia, US Department of State, Bureau of Democracy, Human Rights and Labor, Washington, DC..
  36. ↑ United Nations (2011) ‘World Abortion Policies 2011’, UN Department of Economic and Social Affairs, Population Division, New York. http://www.un.org/esa/population/publications/2011abortion/2011wallchart.pdf
  37. ↑ Central Statistical Agency and ICF Macro (2011) Ethiopia Demographic and Health Survey, 2011, Preliminary Report, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia & Calverton, Maryland.
  38. ↑ Japanese International Cooperation Agency (JICA) (2006), pp. 26-27.
  39. ↑ ECA (2009b), Country Questionnaire for the Fifteenth-Year Review and Appraisal of The Implementation of the Beijing Platform of Action (BPFA+ 15), ECA: Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. Central Statistical Agency and ICF Macro (2011) Ethiopia Demographic and Health Survey, 2011, Preliminary Report, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia & Calverton, Maryland.
  40. ↑ Central Statistical Agency and ICF Macro (2011) Ethiopia Demographic and Health Survey, 2011, Preliminary Report, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia & Calverton, Maryland
  41. ↑ Central Statistical Agency and ICF Macro (2011) Ethiopia Demographic and Health Survey, 2011, Preliminary Report, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia & Calverton, Maryland.
  42. ↑ World Economic Forum (2011) The Global Gender Gap Report 2011, available at http://www3.weforum.org/docs/WEF_GenderGap_Report_2011.pdf, accessed 2 March 2012.
  43. ↑ Central Intelligence Agency (2012)
  44. ↑ Article 35, Sub Section 7 of the Constitution, in ECA (2009b), Country Questionnaire for the Fifteenth-Year Review and Appraisal of The Implementation of the Beijing Platform of Action (BPFA+ 15), ECA: Addis Ababa, Ethiopia., p. 5
  45. ↑ Knox, A., N. Duvvury, and N. Milici (2007), Connecting Rights to Reality: A Progressive Framework of Core Legal Protections for Women’s Property Rights, International Center for Research on Women, Washington, DC
  46. ↑ ECA (2009b), Country Questionnaire for the Fifteenth-Year Review and Appraisal of The Implementation of the Beijing Platform of Action (BPFA+ 15), ECA: Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. p.5.
  47. ↑ US Department of State (2010), 2009 Country Reports on Human Rights Practices: Ethiopia, US Department of State, Bureau of Democracy, Human Rights and Labor, Washington, DC.
  48. ↑ Central Statistical Office (CSO) And ORC Marco (2006), Ethiopia Demographic And Health Survey 2005, CSO, ORC Macro: Addis Ababa, Ethiopia & Calverton, Maryland, Table 16.12.
  49. ↑ Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) (2006), Ethiopia: Country Gender Profile, JICA Planning Department, Tokyo., p. 29.
  50. ↑ CEDAW (2009), Consideration of Reports Submitted by States Parties Under Article 18 of the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women: Ethiopia, Combined Sixth and Seventh Periodic Reports of States Parties, CEDAW/C/ETH/6-7, CEDAW, New York, NY., p. 72; World Bank 1999, p. 152.
  51. ↑ CEDAW (2009), Consideration of Reports Submitted by States Parties Under Article 18 of the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women: Ethiopia, Combined Sixth and Seventh Periodic Reports of States Parties, CEDAW/C/ETH/6-7, CEDAW, New York, NY., p. 35.
  52. ↑ African Development Bank (AfDB) (2004) Ethiopia Multi-Sector Country Gender Profile, AfDB: Abidjan, Côte d’Ivoire., p. 15; Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) (2006), Ethiopia: Country Gender Profile, Jica Planning Department, Tokyo., p. 31.
  53. ↑ US Department of State (2010), 2009 Country Reports on Human Rights Practices: Ethiopia, US Department of State, Bureau of Democracy, Human Rights and Labor, Washington, DC.
  54. ↑ Central Statistical Office (CSO) and ORC Macro (2006), Ethiopia Demographic and Health Survey 2005, CSO, ORC Macro: Addis Ababa, Ethiopia & Calverton, Maryland, Table 16.4
  55. ↑ Freedom House (2010) ‘Freedom in the World 2010: Ethiopia’, http://www.freedomhouse.org/template.cfm?page=363&year=2010&country=7821 (accessed 8 November 2011)
  56. ↑ CEDAW (2009), Consideration of Reports Submitted by States Parties Under Article 18 of the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women: Ethiopia, Combined Sixth and Seventh Periodic Reports of States Parties, CEDAW/C/ETH/6-7, CEDAW, New York, NY.p.15
  57. ↑ Network of Ethiopian Women Association (NEWA) & Ethiopian Women Lawyers Association (EWLA) (2003), p. 4; Inter-Parliamentary Union (IPU) (2010
  58. ↑ ECA (2009b), Country Questionnaire for the Fifteenth-Year Review and Appraisal of The Implementation of the Beijing Platform of Action (BPFA+ 15), ECA: Addis Ababa, Ethiopia., p. 3.
  59. ↑ World Values Survey (2006), Selected Country/Sample: Ethiopia, World Values Survey, available http://worldvaluessurvey.org (accessed 1 March 2010)., Question V61.
  60. ↑ Pew Research Center (2007), Pew Global Attitudes Project: Spring 2007 Survey, Pew Global Attitudes Project, Washington, DC., Question Q.43.
  61. ↑ International Labour Organization (ILO) (2009), Database of Conditions of Work and Employment Laws, ILO: Geneva, Switzerland, accessed 1 March 2010.
  62. ↑ Network Of Ethiopian Women Association (NEWA), Ethiopian Women Lawyers Association (EWLA) (2003), CEDAW Shadow Report, Newa, Ewla: Addis Ababa, Ethiopia., p. 4.
  63. ↑ Central Statistical Office (CSO) and ORC MACRO (2006), Ethiopia Demographic And Health Survey 2005, Cso, Orc Macro: Addis Ababa, Ethiopia & Calverton, Maryland, Table 16.1.

The Africa for Women's Rights Campaign

Africa4womensrights.png

Key facts

The Campaign

On 8 March 2009 the "Africa for Women's Rights" Campaign was launched at the initiative of the International Federation for Human Rights (FIDH), in collaboration with fove non-governmental regional organisations: the African Center for Democracy and Human Rights Studies(ACDHRS), Femmes Africa Solidarité (FAS), Women’s Aid Collective (WACOL), Women in Law and Development in Africa (WILDAF) and Women and Law in Southern Africa (WLSA). These organisations make up the Steering Committee responsible for the coordination of the Campaign.

The Campaign aims to put an end to discrimination and violence against women in Africa, calling on states to ratify international and regional instruments protecting women's rights, to repeal all discriminatory laws, to adopt laws protecting the rights of women and to take all necessary measures to wensure their effective implementation.

Country Focus: Ethiopia

Although Ethiopia ratified the Convention on the Elimination of all forms of Discrimination Against Women (CEDAW) in 1981, the government has not yet ratified its Optional Protocol or the Protocol to the African Charter on Human and Peoples’ Rights on the Rights of Women in Africa (Maputo Protocol).

The Coalition of the Campaign is particularly concerned by the following continued violations of women’s rights in Ethiopia: persistence of discriminatory laws; discrimination within the family; violence against women, including harmful traditional practices such as female genital mutilation; and limited access to education, property, healthcare and justice.

Read more

Sources

The Women, Business and the Law

Where are laws equal for men and women?  

The Women, Business and the Law report presents indicators based on laws and regulations affecting women's prospects as entrepreneurs and employees. Several of these indicators draw on the Gender Law Library, a collection of over 2,000 legal provisions impacting women's economic status. This report does not seek to judge or rank countries, but to provide information to inform discussions about women’s economic rights. Women, Business and the Law provides data covering 6 areas: accessing institutions, using property, getting a job, providing incentives to work, building credit, and going to court.Read more about the methodology.

For detailed information on Ethiopia, please visit the Women, Business and
the Law Ethiopia page.

Sources


The FAO Gender and Land Rights Database

FAO logo.jpg

The FAO Gender and Land Rights Database contains country level information on social, economic, political and cultural issues related to the gender inequalities embedded in those rights. Disparity on land access is one of the major causes for social and gender inequalities in rural areas, and it jeopardizes, as a consequence, rural food security as well as the wellbeing of individuals and families.

Six categories

The Database offers information on the 6 following Categories:

For detailed information on Ethiopia, please visit the report on Ethiopia in the FAO Gender and Land Rights Database.

Sources

Progress Assessment of MDG 3: Promote Gender Equality and Empower Women

Millennium Development Goal #3 is divided into three sub-categories, each of them focusing on different areas: education, employment wage and political power. The Ethiopian Government upgraded the Office of Women’s Affairs in the Prime Minister’s office to the level of a full Ministry of Women’s Affairs (MoWA)with the mandate to ensure that due consideration was given to gender issues across all sectoral policies. Gender issues have also been incorporated by the Government in different national policies including health, education and training, HIV/AIDS, population and other sectorpolicies. The formulation of the National Action Plan (NAP) on Gender and development ensures that gender is fully considered and incorporated in all the annual work plans [1].

MDG Tracking Index of Ethiopia-2010

Ratios of girls to boys in primary, secondary and tertiary education

The Girl Parity Index of Ethiopia in primary education was at 0.87 in 2007[2]. The percentage of enrollment of Ethiopian girls has significantly increased. At the primary level, it has increased from 53.8% in 2002/2003 to 93% in 2009/2010 (from 74.6% to 98.7% for boys during the same period) .The gender disparity gets wider at higher levels of the educational system "because of the history of structural problems". Achieving gender parity at the primary level, results in many more girls enrolling at secondary and tertiary education levels. Disparities exist also in the GPI: women in rural areas are less likely to go to school than their fellows in the urban areas.

Share of women in wage employment in the non-agricultural sector

The share of women in wage employment in the non-agricultural sector weren't accessible but datas provided by UNDP Ethiopia show that in 2009 , out of the total unemployed population in Ethiopia 68.5% were females and 31.5% were males. This shows a decline from 2005 which stood 74.1% for female and 25.8% for male. The rate of unemployment for urban areas in the same year was 20.4%, which is 12.2% and 29.6% for male and female respectively.

Proportion of seats held by women in national parliament

21.9% of the seats of the National Parliament of Ethiopia were held by women in 2007 [3]. Gender parity in the national parliament is far from being attained in Ethiopia but there has been progress in that matter. After the 1995 elections, 13 women (2.74%) were represented out of 547 seats while after the 2000 elecions 42 (7.7%) of the elected MPs were women. By 2010), the number of women holding seats rose to 117 (22%) [4]. During the third election, the government had strived to increase the number of women legislators to 30-50% of the house, through different measures. The number of seats held by women in the House of Federation (upper Chamber) has reached 21 ouf of 112 (18.75%) in 2010.

The MDG Track Global Index for Ethiopia was at 37% in 2010 and the country was "on track for 2020"[5].

References

  1. ↑ UNDP. Government of Ethiopia.MDG Report 2010. Goal 3:Promote Gender Equality and Empower Women
  2. ↑ MDG Track Monitor. Ethiopia
  3. ↑ MDG Track Monitor. Ethiopia
  4. ↑ MDG Report 2010. Ethiopia. Goal 3: Promote Gender Equality and Empower Women
  5. ↑ MDG Track Global Index. Ethiopia
Retrieved from "http://wikigender.org/index.php/Gender_Equality_in_Ethiopia"
Related Categories

Article Information
Navigation
community
Print/export
Toolbox
Wikiprogress Wikichild Wikigender University Wikiprogress.Stat ProgBlog Latin America Network African Network eFrame