Major Gaps on the Rights of Women in Ethiopia

Abstract Several international instruments including CEDAW have recognized every human being to be free from any form of violence including being free from inhuman and degrading treatment. Equality of men and women is also recognized starting from the establishment of UN in 1945 under its charter. UDHR, ICCPR and ICSECR are the major international human right instruments which recognized the application of the rights without discrimination based on sex. CEDAW is an important instrument meant to avoid any forms of discrimination against women including gender based violence against women. The ACHPR and the protocol to the right of women in Africa are also crucial regional instruments in the human right field to ensure the right of women within the region. Moreover, Harmful traditional practices and violence against women are recognized as violation of the human rights of women by the treaty bodies established to ensure implementation of the respected international and regional instruments. Ethiopia, after ratification of several international human right instruments took legislative and other important measures to respect the rights of women in general. However, such measures are remained to be insufficient. Abuses of women rights continued to persist, perpetrators remained unpunished or punished with fines or quiet few years of imprisonment for gross violations of Women's rights. Particularly, the situation of domestic violence including intimate partner violence, as some scholars rightly put it, is beyond the expectation of the 21st century. The constitution of Ethiopia entitled women several rights though it is not still perfect. The revised family code of Ethiopia also recognized several rights which were not included in the civil code of Ethiopia. The criminal code of Ethiopia has also criminalized several harmful traditional practices such as FGM, abduction, and rape. Despite all these legislative measures, violation of the fundamental women's right still continue to exist. The thesis is meant to show the readers the prevalence of violence against women and harmful traditional practices including domestic violence, sexual violence, FGM and early marriage as well as to show gaps on the administrative and legal measures taken by relevant actors to tackle the problems in light of the international human right standards. To fulfill the obligations envisaged under international human right instruments, the study recommends the state and the relevant actors to take legislative and administrative measures to tackle the problem from its grass roots and increase protection for victims of harmful traditional practices and gender based violence