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More Must be Done to Fight Gender Based
Violence in Ethiopia
28 September, 2011 | By Seble Teweldebirhan
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Ethiopian women to survive throughout their lives, making Ethiopia
one of the worst places in the world to be a woman.
For those who happen to endure all of this, society has put up
another challenge by discriminating girls in their access to school,
nutrition, and health services, etc. families favored boys over girls,
creating an environment where women are not able to be
competent and express themselves let alone fight for their
fundamental human rights.
For a time that seems to be an eternity, Ethiopian women have put
up and tolerated all this without any significant attitude change in the
society. Even when at a time Ethiopia clams to accept fundamental
human rights laws that provide equality for women in all aspects of
life, women are still gravely discriminated, abused, beaten, raped
and killed in the most inhuman and cruel manners mostly by their
own partners.
While many hoped that the time of women suffering might gradually
come to an end, the violence and abuse seems to be taking a turn
for the worse. The story of Aberash Highline, an Ethiopian Airlines
Hostess, whose ex-husband torn her eyes out, is a reminder of
other millions who suffer from such great societal injustice.
According to the Reporter newspaper, W/ro Aberash and her
husband were married for seven years. They ended their marriage
with mutual agreement and, according to family members, their
divorce was as peaceful as it could get. Even after their divorce,
they remain friends where both visit each other every now and then.
However, all this seemingly passive environment were about to
change the day following the Ethiopian New Year. On September
2 EC, the ex husband named Fessiha Tadesse went to her house
and brutally torn her ayes out and left her filled with blood in her
own living room. He gave himself to the police immediately
admitting what he did claiming he was under the pressure of alcohol.
Now this might sound just like one story. One might even question
the fuss of the media and women’s rights activists who are not
willing to let this issue go simply. However, the reality is that the
story of Aberash is the story of millions of women in Ethiopia who
are battered on everyday basis. She is a symbol of how serious
GBV is getting in this country. After her story reached the public,
many are also revealing other violence stories. Following the issue,
Reporter newspaper in its last Saturday issue wrote about women
who are killed, burned with acid and threatened to death by their
own partners and husbands. For many, the case of Hayat, whose
ex boyfriend burned her face with sulfuric acid disfiguring her
completely is a fresh memory.
However, the question should be how we could really stop this
from happening in the future. Many suggest that the law is not
serious enough about women’s human rights violations. Not only
has the law failed the expectation of women, the courts in several
occasions have treating GBV far leniently and let the accused go
with no trouble.
The Ethiopian constitution, which is the supreme law of the land,
has two categories of human rights. One is ‘human rights’ and the
other is ‘democratic rights’. The distinction, which is bizarre for
international human rights law, has remained a subject of
controversy for as long as the constitution has been in effect. The
core argument for this distinction from the makers of the
constitution are that some rights are ‘given’ to a society only when
there is democratic system. In other words, we would not have the
rights provided under the ‘democratic rights’ chapter if Ethiopia
was not a ‘democratic’ state. The right of women is part of these
democratic rights. The point here is, whatever the category refers
to, the equality of women is a constitutional right, which the country
vowed to respect and protect at any expense. Article 35 of the
FDRE constitution, though never specific about GBV, outlaws any
custom and tradition that results in mental or bodily harm to
women. Under the same article, the state also assume obligation to
enforce the right of women to eliminate the influences of harmful
customs.
The constitution also provides that international human rights
instruments - which Ethiopia is a party to by ratification - are part of
the supreme law of the land. From these instruments, though all
affirm the equality of both sexes, Convention on the Elimination of
All Forms of Discrimination Against Women (CEDAW) is more
relevant. CEDAW requires state parties to take all appropriate
measures to protect women from any form of GBV.
The Ethiopian criminal law, trying to cope up with the constitution
and international laws, provides punishments for those who violate
the rights of women. The question here is if in fact the law is serious
enough on the violations and can cope up with the obligations
Ethiopia assumed with the international human rights instruments.
Some argue that it is not the law, rather the justice system that failed
to defend women whenever they face violations. The fact that the
suspects in most cases are released on bail, mostly after conviction
the minimum punishment is given by the courts and even the
treatment of the law enforcement officials towards the victims is
often mentioned as a reason for the ever growing violence against
women.
Alternatively, may be, the cruelty on women we are witnessing
today has nothing to do with the law, rather with some other
societal crises which can only be sorted out by the society itself.
Some people suggest that through globalization and modernization,
GBV is just changing its course. Today, many things have
transformed into something the society is not capable to
understand. Without any attitude change towards women from the
society, the government is trying to enforce the rights of women.
Whether the law is in fact capable of changing the society to
respect women’s right or if it is the society that needs to change first
is another issue to debate. However, it is obvious that the
seriousness of the law is not the only factor in this issue. This is
because, in most cases, people engage themselves in criminal acts,
even knowing how serious the punishment could be. Therefore, if
men are not exposed to the fact that women are not their property
and they are their own person with a complete rights and legal
protection, imposing the punishment by itself might not be a solution
we are longing.
With this line of argument, what we need is attitude change from the
society about women. Accepting the fact that women have rights
and deserve every respect and equality in all aspects of life is
something the government, civil societies and the public must push
into the consciousness of the people.
Of course, then again, instead of treating the issue as violation of
women’s right, it might be better to consider it as a violation of
human rights. The crime on women is not specific for women only.
It is in fact a crime on a society. Through this line, only those who
are sensitive when it comes to women should not stress the issue.
Instead, as a society, everyone must condemn the matter. As
people, we should be concerned when other people are treated
with such cruelty, no matter what their gender might be.
Courtesy
Violence in Ethiopia
28 September, 2011 | By Seble Teweldebirhan
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
- Being a woman has never been
easy in Ethiopia. The brutal
discrimination has always been
part of who we are and what we
have become today. Early
marriage, abduction, rape and
marital rape (whatever the
distinction might be), harmful
traditional practices including
FGM, sexual violence and abuse,
Ethiopian women to survive throughout their lives, making Ethiopia
one of the worst places in the world to be a woman.
For those who happen to endure all of this, society has put up
another challenge by discriminating girls in their access to school,
nutrition, and health services, etc. families favored boys over girls,
creating an environment where women are not able to be
competent and express themselves let alone fight for their
fundamental human rights.
For a time that seems to be an eternity, Ethiopian women have put
up and tolerated all this without any significant attitude change in the
society. Even when at a time Ethiopia clams to accept fundamental
human rights laws that provide equality for women in all aspects of
life, women are still gravely discriminated, abused, beaten, raped
and killed in the most inhuman and cruel manners mostly by their
own partners.
While many hoped that the time of women suffering might gradually
come to an end, the violence and abuse seems to be taking a turn
for the worse. The story of Aberash Highline, an Ethiopian Airlines
Hostess, whose ex-husband torn her eyes out, is a reminder of
other millions who suffer from such great societal injustice.
According to the Reporter newspaper, W/ro Aberash and her
husband were married for seven years. They ended their marriage
with mutual agreement and, according to family members, their
divorce was as peaceful as it could get. Even after their divorce,
they remain friends where both visit each other every now and then.
However, all this seemingly passive environment were about to
change the day following the Ethiopian New Year. On September
2 EC, the ex husband named Fessiha Tadesse went to her house
and brutally torn her ayes out and left her filled with blood in her
own living room. He gave himself to the police immediately
admitting what he did claiming he was under the pressure of alcohol.
Now this might sound just like one story. One might even question
the fuss of the media and women’s rights activists who are not
willing to let this issue go simply. However, the reality is that the
story of Aberash is the story of millions of women in Ethiopia who
are battered on everyday basis. She is a symbol of how serious
GBV is getting in this country. After her story reached the public,
many are also revealing other violence stories. Following the issue,
Reporter newspaper in its last Saturday issue wrote about women
who are killed, burned with acid and threatened to death by their
own partners and husbands. For many, the case of Hayat, whose
ex boyfriend burned her face with sulfuric acid disfiguring her
completely is a fresh memory.
However, the question should be how we could really stop this
from happening in the future. Many suggest that the law is not
serious enough about women’s human rights violations. Not only
has the law failed the expectation of women, the courts in several
occasions have treating GBV far leniently and let the accused go
with no trouble.
The Ethiopian constitution, which is the supreme law of the land,
has two categories of human rights. One is ‘human rights’ and the
other is ‘democratic rights’. The distinction, which is bizarre for
international human rights law, has remained a subject of
controversy for as long as the constitution has been in effect. The
core argument for this distinction from the makers of the
constitution are that some rights are ‘given’ to a society only when
there is democratic system. In other words, we would not have the
rights provided under the ‘democratic rights’ chapter if Ethiopia
was not a ‘democratic’ state. The right of women is part of these
democratic rights. The point here is, whatever the category refers
to, the equality of women is a constitutional right, which the country
vowed to respect and protect at any expense. Article 35 of the
FDRE constitution, though never specific about GBV, outlaws any
custom and tradition that results in mental or bodily harm to
women. Under the same article, the state also assume obligation to
enforce the right of women to eliminate the influences of harmful
customs.
The constitution also provides that international human rights
instruments - which Ethiopia is a party to by ratification - are part of
the supreme law of the land. From these instruments, though all
affirm the equality of both sexes, Convention on the Elimination of
All Forms of Discrimination Against Women (CEDAW) is more
relevant. CEDAW requires state parties to take all appropriate
measures to protect women from any form of GBV.
The Ethiopian criminal law, trying to cope up with the constitution
and international laws, provides punishments for those who violate
the rights of women. The question here is if in fact the law is serious
enough on the violations and can cope up with the obligations
Ethiopia assumed with the international human rights instruments.
Some argue that it is not the law, rather the justice system that failed
to defend women whenever they face violations. The fact that the
suspects in most cases are released on bail, mostly after conviction
the minimum punishment is given by the courts and even the
treatment of the law enforcement officials towards the victims is
often mentioned as a reason for the ever growing violence against
women.
Alternatively, may be, the cruelty on women we are witnessing
today has nothing to do with the law, rather with some other
societal crises which can only be sorted out by the society itself.
Some people suggest that through globalization and modernization,
GBV is just changing its course. Today, many things have
transformed into something the society is not capable to
understand. Without any attitude change towards women from the
society, the government is trying to enforce the rights of women.
Whether the law is in fact capable of changing the society to
respect women’s right or if it is the society that needs to change first
is another issue to debate. However, it is obvious that the
seriousness of the law is not the only factor in this issue. This is
because, in most cases, people engage themselves in criminal acts,
even knowing how serious the punishment could be. Therefore, if
men are not exposed to the fact that women are not their property
and they are their own person with a complete rights and legal
protection, imposing the punishment by itself might not be a solution
we are longing.
With this line of argument, what we need is attitude change from the
society about women. Accepting the fact that women have rights
and deserve every respect and equality in all aspects of life is
something the government, civil societies and the public must push
into the consciousness of the people.
Of course, then again, instead of treating the issue as violation of
women’s right, it might be better to consider it as a violation of
human rights. The crime on women is not specific for women only.
It is in fact a crime on a society. Through this line, only those who
are sensitive when it comes to women should not stress the issue.
Instead, as a society, everyone must condemn the matter. As
people, we should be concerned when other people are treated
with such cruelty, no matter what their gender might be.
Courtesy
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