On Gender Based Violence in Ethiopia

The mechanism of violence is what destroys women, controls women, diminishes women and keeps women in their so-called place.

—EVE ENSLER, A Memory, a Monologue, a Rant, and a Prayer

By Ziade Hailu 

FSA - Program Officer

(Addis Ababa) In Ethiopia, woman have been suffering from the social, political, economic and cultural problems; the society  has failed to recognize  the problems until recently. So, gender based violence has remained to be the most pronounced ordeal of women in Ethiopia.

 Studies have shown that gender based violence takes place at the family, community and national level. At the family level, domestic violence occurs in the form of battering, marital rape, incest, female genital mutilation and early marriage. Rape, sexual assault, sexual harassment, forced prostitution, domestic labor, migrant worker and pornography linked to violence against women   are rampant at the community level.

Forty-nine percent (49 percent) of Ethiopian women who have been in domestic partnerships have experienced physical abuse by a partner at some point in their lives and 29 percent during the past 12 months, according to findings published in 2005 by the World Health Organization’s Multi-Country Study on Women’s Health and Domestic Violence against Women. Eight in 10 women believe there are some situations in which a husband is justified in beating his wife, according to the Ethiopian Demographic and Health Survey.

Women in Addis Ababa have been subject to a range of expressions of violence. A study done by Ethiopian Women Lawyers Association (EWLA) in Addis Ababa shows that the most prevalent violence against school girls is sexual harassment, while the other most prevalent forms are spouse prevention from talking to other men and insulting, shouting angrily, refusing to talk to women respectively.

By the same token, the research stated that employed women are mainly exposed to threat of violence by employers. Violence experienced by house wives and employed women also include the threat of violence perpetuated by a husband or by a partner if the women come home late, locking women in a room, battering, damaging things of importance to the wife, refusing to give money for house hold expenses, refusing sex, marital rape, coming home late (husband), pressure to have sex with a female employee, and the threat of divorcé or separation.  

A study conducted by African Child Policy Forum in 2006 in Addis Ababa also revealed that  out of the 485 young women participating in the survey, 332 reported that  they had been sexually abused in one form or another. Based on this survey nearly seven in every ten girls are sexually abused in Addis Ababa. The study also stated that of the population sampled, three out of ten girls reported that they have been raped.

According to police investigation files on the crime of violence against women in Addis Ababa (1996-2002) most of the  crimes related to gender based violence were perpetuated  by men  known to the victims or with whom they have a close relationship. Out of 583 cases, only 97 were committed by men who were strangers to the victims.

Similarly the police report reveals that out of 210 rape cases, only 64 were committed by strangers. The rest were committed by people known to the victims like neighbors (65 cases) employers (31 cases) boy friends (21 cases), step fathers (10 cases). With regard to assault and battering, in 32 out of  251 cases  reported within the last seven years,  the crimes were committed by strangers.

Violence against women is a complex problem with medical, psychological, educational, social, cultural, economic, and legal and Rights dimensions. To effectively care for survivors and to stop inter –generational cycle of violence, all of these dimensions need to be addressed.

Family Service Association is doing its part with the support of its partners but the task at hand is so huge. We need to break the silence now.