FEBRUARY 4/2004

As we observe the African Women's Health and Rights day on February 4, it is unavoidable to observe that the condition of women all over Africa has worsened and the violation of their rights has increased.

In Ethiopia, the power holders have resisted up to now all calls to take vigorous actions to protect the rights of women while they do pay lip service to the "rights of women". Young girls are forced into marriage as young as 1 years of age and consequent pregnancy often makes them ideal patients of the over crowded fistula hospital in the capital city. Thousands of young girls with ruined health suffer in the rural areas. Genital mutilation (from mild to the severe) is in practice without the authorities taking any legal action or effective educational campaign to put a halt to it. As SOCEPP had often denounced the sale of young women unto modern slavery in the Middle East is a lucrative business as is child prostitution. It is symptomatic of the problem that high government officials and diplomats were caught in a special nightclub where nude preteen girls served as waitresses and sex workers.

In the whole country, the health system has collapsed and women are bearing the burden of an epidemic AIDS spread that has affected them more than men. A survey, made in the year 2000, showed that 25,000 women die yearly at child birth while close to half a million die from pregnancy related complications. Yet, the right of women to choose or not to have a baby is not recognized. As a result, in a country, that has a high 5.9% fertility rate, 80% of the abortions made are illegal and 350 deaths are registered per 10,000 procedures. Only 2% of women in rural areas are assisted by skilled mid wives.50% of maternal deaths are associated with unsafe and illegal abortions. On all accounts, women in Ethiopia are denied their basic rights and forced to suffer under inhumane conditions perpetrated by the authorities, so called tradition and customary practices. A vigorous campaign to defend their rights has yet to be seen on the part of the power holders while, on the other hand, women have been the target of political persecution and repression (killed, jailed or disappeared like Aberash Berta).

SOCEPP calls for the respect of the rights of women in Ethiopia and all over Africa.

SOCEPP