Beyond Orphanhood: Rethinking Vulnerability in Ethiopia

‘Orphans ’ as a category of vulnerable children came to the fore in the context of the global AIDS crisis. Currently the notion of ‘Orphans and Vulnerable Children ’ (or ‘OVCs’) dominates much of the child protection debates across sub-Saharan Africa. Data from Young Lives in Ethiopia challenges the assumption that parental death alone results in poorer life chances for children. While orphanhood can impact on children’s psychosocial well-being, socio-economic deprivation needs to be considered as well. Inequalities between children are greater due to poverty and household location, rather than between orphans and non-orphans. Tackling child poverty more broadly, rather than focusing exclusively on certain categories of children, needs to be at the heart of policies for children. © Young Lives / Aida Ashenafi Estimates of the numbers of children being orphaned by AIDS-related deaths in sub-Saharan Africa raised international concern about an ‘orphan crisis ’ and the ‘burden ’ of their care in already fragile family and community circumstances (Abebe and Aase 2007). The focus on orphans has been driven by international agencies and donors who have shaped the definitions, priorities an