EARLY MARRIAGE IN EARLY MARRIAGE IN ETHIOPIAETHIOPIA

Mahdere PaulosMahdere Paulos

Executive Directress:Executive Directress:Ethiopian Women Lawyers Ethiopian Women Lawyers

AssociationAssociation

www.etwla.orgwww.etwla.org July 2006 July 2006

OverviewOverview EWLAEWLA Context and Legislative responses Context and Legislative responses

in Ethiopiain Ethiopia What has been done to end early What has been done to end early

marriagemarriage StrategiesStrategies What remains to be doneWhat remains to be done

Ethiopian Women’s Lawyers Ethiopian Women’s Lawyers AssociationAssociation

ObjectiveObjective The elimination of all forms of legal The elimination of all forms of legal

and traditionally sanctioned and traditionally sanctioned discrimination against women.discrimination against women.

The ensuring of equal treatment of The ensuring of equal treatment of women with men in education, women with men in education, employment ,access to public services employment ,access to public services and benefits.and benefits.

The advocacy of remedial and The advocacy of remedial and affirmative measures for women to affirmative measures for women to redress accumulated consequences of redress accumulated consequences of discrimination discrimination

ProgramsPrograms

Legal Aid Legal Aid Public EducationPublic Education

Research and AdvocacyResearch and Advocacy

Prevalence of Child Marriage Prevalence of Child Marriage

Practiced among peasant communities of Practiced among peasant communities of Christian dominated and crop producing Christian dominated and crop producing highlands of Central and Northern highlands of Central and Northern Ethiopia with the national prevalence of Ethiopia with the national prevalence of 54.6%. 54.6%.

Several ethnic groups in the South and Several ethnic groups in the South and South West of Ethiopia have such South West of Ethiopia have such practice with occurrence between 50-practice with occurrence between 50-80%.80%.

Types of early marriagesTypes of early marriages

Promissory marriagePromissory marriage Arranged before the birth of the child.Arranged before the birth of the child.

Child marriageChild marriage Arranged for girls under 10 years of Arranged for girls under 10 years of

age and the bride is placed under the age and the bride is placed under the custody of in-laws until she reaches custody of in-laws until she reaches puberty age.puberty age.

Types of marriage cont’dTypes of marriage cont’d Early adolescent marriage Early adolescent marriage

Arranged for girls between ages of Arranged for girls between ages of 10-14. The married child may stay 10-14. The married child may stay with parents but periodically visits with parents but periodically visits her parents-in-lawher parents-in-law

Late Adolescent marriageLate Adolescent marriage

When the bride is 15 –18 years oldWhen the bride is 15 –18 years old

Reasons for practicing Early Reasons for practicing Early MarriageMarriage

Material BenefitMaterial Benefit Ceremony contributions in kind or cash Ceremony contributions in kind or cash

from relativesfrom relatives

Claim of dowry and/or number of Claim of dowry and/or number of animals in a form of bride price which is animals in a form of bride price which is as a pay backas a pay back

Prestige and social acceptance (for Prestige and social acceptance (for fame)fame)

Social ReasonsSocial Reasons Fear for abduction Fear for abduction Fear for the female children not Fear for the female children not

doing well in schooldoing well in school Fear for ostracization and Fear for ostracization and

stigmatization by the society stigmatization by the society Protecting virginity (premarital sex), Protecting virginity (premarital sex),

and unwanted pregnancyand unwanted pregnancy Urge to conform to traditionUrge to conform to tradition

Fear of losing the bride price and Fear of losing the bride price and relation with unwanted familyrelation with unwanted family

Cementing kinship tiesCementing kinship ties

Economic ReasonsEconomic Reasons Feel of obligation to secure child’s future Feel of obligation to secure child’s future

before they get weak or diebefore they get weak or die

Future reciprocal assistanceFuture reciprocal assistance

Reduction of financial dependency of childrenReduction of financial dependency of children

Linkage to a family who is financially better Linkage to a family who is financially better off or a better “social standing"off or a better “social standing"

Problems/Harms/DisadvantagesProblems/Harms/Disadvantages

(Psychological) forced sexual (Psychological) forced sexual relation and denial of freedom to relation and denial of freedom to play and enjoy ones childhoodplay and enjoy ones childhood

Distress is enduredDistress is endured Domestic violenceDomestic violence Reproductive health problemsReproductive health problems Denial of educationDenial of education

Problems ContinuedProblems Continued

Childhood pregnancy and child birth Childhood pregnancy and child birth associate trauma and fistula, high associate trauma and fistula, high prenatal and postnatal mortality and prenatal and postnatal mortality and morbiditymorbidity

The incidence of HIV infectionThe incidence of HIV infection

• Prostitution, crime, street begging, Prostitution, crime, street begging, etc.etc.

• Rural to urban migration and suicide Rural to urban migration and suicide are mostly used ways to escapeare mostly used ways to escape

• Population pressure, health costs, Population pressure, health costs, human development losshuman development loss

Problems ContinuedProblems Continued

• Hampering the realization of the Hampering the realization of the MDG’s, i.e. poverty reductionMDG’s, i.e. poverty reduction

• Early widowhood, victim of wife Early widowhood, victim of wife inheritance or primary HIV spreading inheritance or primary HIV spreading factorfactor

Legislative ResponsesLegislative Responses

Constitution Constitution Marriage shall be concluded with Marriage shall be concluded with

free and full consent of the spousesfree and full consent of the spouses Criminal CodeCriminal Code Imposes penalty on those who Imposes penalty on those who

solemnize, contract, permit or solemnize, contract, permit or witnesses to EM witnesses to EM

Family CodeFamily Code EM concluded subject to dissolutionEM concluded subject to dissolution

What has been done so far?What has been done so far?

Conducted sample studies and launched Conducted sample studies and launched its findingsits findings

Involved religious leaders and trained Involved religious leaders and trained regional policeregional police

Encouraged the public to report to EWLA’s Encouraged the public to report to EWLA’s branch offices before EM takes placebranch offices before EM takes place

Provides legal aid and shelter services for Provides legal aid and shelter services for runaway kidsrunaway kids

Strategies to combat the practice of Strategies to combat the practice of Early MarriageEarly Marriage

Educate girls and boys about Educate girls and boys about consequences of EM consequences of EM

Educate the community ,especially Educate the community ,especially parents,on the consequences of EM parents,on the consequences of EM

Lobby the government to make Lobby the government to make primary education mandatoryprimary education mandatory

Police, prosecutors and courts need Police, prosecutors and courts need to be equipped to deal with the to be equipped to deal with the problem problem

Strategies Cont’dStrategies Cont’d

Persuade parents to keep their Persuade parents to keep their daughters in schooldaughters in school

• Build schools closer to the communityBuild schools closer to the community• Involve more female teachers as role Involve more female teachers as role

modelsmodels• Initiate Grass-root level workInitiate Grass-root level work• Introduction of birth and marriage Introduction of birth and marriage

registrationregistration

Strategies Cont’dStrategies Cont’d

• Cash incentive to parents; in school Cash incentive to parents; in school child carechild care

• Introduction of non-formal programs Introduction of non-formal programs • Community involvement in running Community involvement in running

schoolsschools• Emergency support for runawaysEmergency support for runaways

What should be the role of the What should be the role of the government, NGOs and the government, NGOs and the

international community?international community?

Implementing the laws need strong Implementing the laws need strong attention and contribution on the side attention and contribution on the side of the government (political will and of the government (political will and commitment )commitment )

Working and involving local people by Working and involving local people by respecting the whole societal valuerespecting the whole societal value

The campaign has to be aligned with The campaign has to be aligned with girls’ education and economic girls’ education and economic empowermentempowerment

Fund/resources from the donorsFund/resources from the donors

Developing local initiatives, Developing local initiatives, networking the different initiatives at networking the different initiatives at different levelsdifferent levels

What Remains Cont’dWhat Remains Cont’d

• Prepare series of educational forums Prepare series of educational forums for law enforcement organs for law enforcement organs

• Lobby the government on making Lobby the government on making marriage registration mandatory marriage registration mandatory and follow its enforcementand follow its enforcement

• Make extensive research on regional Make extensive research on regional occurrence, magnitude and reasonsoccurrence, magnitude and reasons

• Educate girls and boysEducate girls and boys• Sensitize parentsSensitize parents

What Remains to Be Done? What Remains to Be Done? Cont’dCont’d

• Expand the tutorial service provided Expand the tutorial service provided to girl’s education to regional statesto girl’s education to regional states

• Involve religious leaders, police Involve religious leaders, police officials and public prosecutors officials and public prosecutors

• Introduce community conversation Introduce community conversation and dialogue forums and dialogue forums

Thank you for your Thank you for your attentionattention