Committee
on the Elimination of
Discrimination against Women
Thirtieth session
12-30 January 2004
Concluding comments: Ethiopia
1. The Committee
considered the combined fourth and fifth periodic report of Ethiopia
(CEDAW/C/ETH/4-5) at its 646th and 647th meetings, held on 26
January 2004 (see CEDAW/C/SR.646 and 647).
Introduction by the State party
2. In introducing the combined fourth and fifth periodic report,
the representative of Ethiopia explained that under the Constitution,
fundamental rights and freedoms were to be interpreted in conformity
with the principles of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights,
the two international human rights covenants and international
instruments ratified by Ethiopia. The Convention on the Elimination
of All Forms of Discrimination against Women had thus become part
of Ethiopian law. Various measures, including reform of family
law, had been undertaken to uphold constitutional rights. An independent
judiciary implemented these rights and civil society promoted
them at the grassroots level. Although it was not yet fully operational,
an Office of Ombudsman dealing with women's and children's affairs
had also been established.
3. A considerable number of machineries had been set up at different
levels of government, from the Women's Affairs Office in the Office
of the Prime Minister to women's affairs departments in 16 sectoral
ministries and in all regional governments. Gender focal points
had been established in each "Woreda" (district) in
order to incorporate gender issues in local development programmes.
4. The representative stated that public debates, awareness campaigns
and advocacy had been carried out in order to combat discrimination
and to popularize gender equality and other human rights. Various
human rights conventions, including the Convention on the Elimination
of All Forms of Discrimination against Women, had been translated
into Amharic, the local working language. Additionally, the media
had played a key role in awareness-raising and promoting gender
equality and gender issues, while the Ethiopia Media Women's Association,
established in May 1999, contributed to improving the image of
women in the media. A national committee on harmful traditional
practices had been established as a policy initiative to eliminate
discrimination and enhance the advancement of women. Some legal
measures had also been adopted or were underway to tackle violence
against women, including harmful traditional practices. Networks
had been established, including on violence against women, female
genital mutilation, gender and leadership and girls' education.
5. The representative pointed out that a national committee chaired
by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs had undertaken a number of
activities in respect of migration and trafficking. A proclamation
(no. 104/998) prohibiting trafficking and illegal migration of
women had been issued, rules preventing the issuance of exit visas
to persons without proper work contracts had been established,
consular offices had been opened in some receiving countries and
experiences had been shared with countries with large numbers
of migrants.
6. The representative also indicated that her Government recognized
that women's participation in political matters was crucial to
ensure gender equality and that measures had been taken in this
regard. She stated that large numbers of women had participated
as voters in the last two elections in 1995 and 2000 and that
women had been elected to the House of People Representatives
(Parliament) and the State (Regional) Council.
7. Turning to education, the representative referred to measures
taken to ensure equal access of girls to education and to increase
enrolment and the retention rate of girls at all levels. Measures
included: higher budget allocations for regional schools that
increase the enrolment of girls, decrease the dropout and repetition
rates; the reservation of 30 per cent of places in public high
educational institutions for women; the reservation of 50 per
cent of places for women at the Teachers Training Institute; and
the inclusion of gender as a main component of civic education
starting in primary schools. With respect to employment, the representative
stated that the Federal Civil Service Commission had come up with
a reform that gave priority to women in employment, including
promotions. Affirmative action provisions had been adopted to
bring women into leadership and decision -making positions within
the civil service. Women in the civil service were also entitled
to maternity leave with pay both before and after their confinement.
Other strategies included facilitation of the establishment of
micro -finance institutions by nongovernmental organizations and
other partners, and the establishment of the Ethiopian Women's
Development Fund and Women's Initiative Project.
8. The representative indicated that delivery of health services
to women had expanded, with an improved referral system that was
especially beneficial to women. Efforts had also been undertaken
to combat the spread of the HIV/AIDS pandemic, which included
projects that aimed to reduce women's vulnerability. For the sake
of preventing mother to child transmission, the Government had
started to provide anti-retroviral drugs free of charge to pregnant
women living with HIV/AIDS.
9. In conclusion, the representative indicated that, while the
legal and political environment was highly conducive to promote
the advancement of women, many challenges had been encountered
in the implementation of policies and programmes. These included
insufficient skilled human resources, unavailability of data disaggregated
by sex in most economic and social sectors, and lack of clear
and effective indicators for gender mainstreaming in development
programmes and projects. She suggested that the political commitment
that existed at the higher political level was perhaps sometimes
lost at the lower level, where programme implementation was to
be realized.
Concluding comments of the Committee
Introduction
10. The Committee expresses its appreciation to the State party
on its combined fourth and fifth periodic report, while regretting
the fact that the report does not fully comply with the Committee's
guidelines for the preparation of periodic reports.
11. The Committee congratulates the State party for its high-level
delegation headed by the Minister of State for Women's Affairs.
The Committee appreciates the frank and constructive dialogue
that took place between the delegation and the members of the
Committee.
Positive aspects
12. The Committee
appreciates the political commitment expressed by the State party
to implement the provisions of the Convention and to further improve
the progress achieved so far in some areas.
13. The Committee welcomes the revision of the Family Code and
the ongoing revision of the Penal Code by the State party in order
to eliminate the provisions that are discriminatory towards women.
14. The Committee appreciates the establishment of a comprehensive
national machinery for the advancement of women at different governmental
levels, which includes the Women's Affairs Office, Women's Affairs
Departments in various ministries as well as gender focal points
in each district.
15. The Committee commends the State party for the temporary special
measures introduced in the civil service and in education, in
particular the allocation of at least 30 per cent of the total
number of university seats to female students. It also commends
the State party for the introduction of the girl's scholarship
programme, covering 28 schools in 7 regions, and the incorporation
of gender mainstreaming in the school curriculum.
Principal areas of concern and recommendations
16. The Committee, while welcoming the integration of the Convention
and the inclusion of equality provisions in the Constitution,
is concerned about the slow progress in the implementation of
the provisions of the Convention in the State party since the
consideration of the State party's combined initial, second and
third periodic report in 1996.
17. The Committee urges the State party to enforce the supremacy
of the Constitution over regional laws and encourages it to proceed,
as a matter of urgency, with the full implementation of the provisions
of the Convention throughout the country, including through enhanced
cooperation between the federal and regional governmental bodies
and institutions, so as to achieve uniformity of results in the
implementation of the Convention. It calls on the State party
to enhance its efforts for, and systematically monitor progress
achieved in the implementation of the Convention at all levels
and in all areas. To that end, the Committee recommends that the
State party place particular focus on improving the capacity of
all public officials in the area of women's human rights and seek
resources through international development assistance programmes,
as necessary. The Committee also calls on the State party to launch,
at the national level, a comprehensive programme of dissemination
of the Convention, targeting women and men, in order to enhance
awareness about and promote and protect the rights of women.
18. The Committee, while welcoming the revision of the Family
Code regulating marriage and family relations, is concerned that
it has not yet been adopted by all regions.
19. The Committee encourages the State party to ensure that regional
governments adopt and duly implement the Family Code without delay
and take all necessary measures, including awareness-raising measures,
to sensitize the population about the revised Family Code.
20. The Committee, while welcoming the establishment of the national
machinery for the advancement of women, is concerned that the
machinery suffers from lack of sufficient decision -making power
and adequate human and financial resources to effectively promote
the advancement of women and gender equality. The Committee also
expresses its concern about the lack of an integrated policy of
gender mainstreaming at the federal level.
21. The Committee recommends that the State party expeditiously
strengthen the existing national machinery and provide it with
adequate human and financial resources at all levels in order
to increase its effectiveness in mainstreaming gender perspectives
in all policies and in promoting women's human rights.
22. The Committee expresses concern about the insufficient sex-disaggregated
statistical data contained in the report with regard to the areas
covered by the Convention.
23. The Committee recommends the systematic and comprehensive
compilation of sex-disaggregated data and its analysis reflecting
the situation of women in all areas covered by the Convention.
24. The Committee, while welcoming the State party's efforts in
the area of education, is concerned at the low rate of female
literacy, the continuing gap between boys and girls in the school
enrolment rate and at the high drop-out and repetition rates among
girls.
25. The Committee urges the State party to strengthen its efforts
to improve the literacy rate of girls and women in rural and urban
areas, to ensure equal access of girls and young women to all
levels of education and to take measures to reduce and eliminate
the high drop-out and repetition rates of girls. It encourages
the State party to introduce temporary special measures in accordance
with article 4, paragraph 1 of the Convention and general recommendation
25 on temporary special measures, at primary and secondary levels
of education, including incentives for parents to send girls to
school. It also recommends that the State party take steps to
ensure that rural women and girls have full access to education
and vocational training.
26. The Committee is concerned about the continued persistence
of entrenched traditional discriminatory practices, including
80 per cent of girls and women undergoing female genital mutilation,
and widow inheritance with all her property, and strong stereotypical
attitudes in respect of the roles and responsibilities of women
and men in the family and society, which negatively affect women's
enjoyment of their human rights.
27. The Committee urges the State party to increase its efforts
to design and implement comprehensive awareness-raising programmes
targeting women and men in order to foster a better understanding
of equality between women and men at all levels of society, with
a view to changing negative social and cultural patterns of conduct
and stereotypical attitudes about the roles and responsibilities
of women and men in the
family and society, and to eliminate female genital mutilation
and widowhood practices. The Committee also calls upon the State
party to periodically review the measures taken in order to better
assess their impact and to report thereon to the Committee in
its next report. The Committee recommends that the State party
take action without delay to end all discriminatory traditional
practices.
28. The Committee, while welcoming the fact that the age of marriage
has been set at 18 years for both girls and boys, is concerned
about the persistence of the practice of early marriage, which
may be perpetuated further by the non-registration of children's
birth.
29. The Committee recommends that the State party take measures
to achieve free and timely registration of all births and undertake
awareness-raising measures throughout the country, particularly
in rural areas, on the importance of registering children's birth
and the negative effects of early marriage on women's enjoyment
of human rights, especially the rights to health and education.
30. The Committee is concerned that no specific legislation has
been enacted to combat violence against women, including domestic
violence, and at the lack of systematic data collection on violence
against women, particularly domestic violence. The Committee is
also concerned that, while abduction has been recognized as a
crime under the Ethiopian criminal code, the implementation of
the law is weak and abductions tend to be resolved through discriminatory
customary laws and practice. The Committee is also concerned about
the incidence of rape in the country.
31. The Committee urges the State party to expedite the adoption
and implementation of a national strategy to combat violence against
women, to include, inter alia: legislation on violence against
women, including domestic violence; the collection of data on
all forms of violence against women; and research into the extent
of violence against women and girls. The Committee calls upon
the State party to ensure that all forms of violence against women
are prosecuted and punished adequately and that victims have immediate
means of redress and protection, in accordance with general recommendation
19. The Committee also recommends that the State party step up
its efforts, through public awareness and education campaigns
targeting the general public, with a particular focus on the judiciary,
the police and medical personnel, to bring about attitudinal and
behavioural changes to make such violence socially and morally
unacceptable.
32. The Committee is concerned about the very low level of life
expectancy for women, the high rate of maternal mortality and
the high prevalence of HIV/AIDS among women. The Committee is
also concerned at the high rate of clandestine abortion and its
causes, which include poverty, a lack of access to information
on women's reproductive health and rights and low prevalence of
contraceptive use.
33. The Committee recommends the adoption of measures to guarantee
effective access for women, including young women, to health-care
information and services, in particular regarding reproductive
health with the aim of reducing clandestine abortions. It further
recommends that programmes and policies be adopted to increase
knowledge about and access to affordable contraceptive methods,
as well as to increase the understanding that family planning
is the responsibility of both partners. The Committee also recommends
that sex education be widely promoted and provided, targeting
men, women and adolescent boys and girls, with special attention
to the prevention and further control of HIV/AIDS.
34. The Committee, while welcoming the implementation of the Women's
Development Initiative Project and the Ethiopian Women's Development
Fund, is concerned that the Fund currently reaches only a small
percentage of women, and that poverty among women, particularly
rural women, continues to persist at a high level.
35. The Committee urges the State party to expand its specific
programmes aimed at enhancing the socio-economic well-being of
women and step up its efforts to fully integrate gender perspectives
in its sustainable development and poverty reduction programme.
It also urges the State party to take measures to ensure that
the rights, needs and concerns of rural women are given greater
attention and visibility and that rural women participate fully
in the formulation, implementation and evaluation of all sectoral
policies and programmes. It calls upon the State party to put
in place policies to protect women's right to property and to
ensure that women have access to land and water resources on an
equal basis with men.
36. The Committee is concerned about the discrimination faced
by women in the labour market, especially in the emerging private
sector.
37. The Committee urges the State party to ensure equal opportunities
for women and men in the labour market through, inter alia, the
use of temporary special measures, according to article 4, paragraph
1, of the Convention and general recommendation 25 on temporary
special measures. The Committee recommends that the State party
take effective measures to promote the reconciliation of family
and work responsibilities between women and men. The Committee
requests the State party to provide, in its next report, detailed
information on the situation of women in the formal and informal
labour market, including women's occupations in the different
sectors of the economy, their levels of seniority in the different
sectors, and their respective wages.
38. The Committee, while noting the slight increase in women's
political participation, is concerned that women's representation
in decision -making positions in the various areas and levels
of political and public life is still low.
39. The Committee requests the State party, in accordance with
article 4, paragraph 1, of the Convention, to take effective measures,
such as implementation of targeted trai ning programmes and awareness-raising
campaigns, to encourage women to participate in public life and
to highlight the importance to the society as a whole of women's
full and equal participation in the development and decision-making
processes, in accordance with general recommendation 23 on women
in public and political life.
40. The Committee, while welcoming the establishment of a national
committee on migration, is concerned about the increasing number
of Ethiopian women migrating to other countries in search of work
and finding themselves in situations where they are vulnerable
to various forms of violence, exploitation and trafficking.
41. The Committee urges the State party to: step up its efforts
to protect women migrant workers; prevent the activities of illegal
employment agencies; ensure that women are provided with adequate
information on safe migration before departure; and conclude bilateral
agreements with receiving countries. It also recommends that the
State party consider acceding to the International Convention
on the Protection of the Rights of All Migrant Workers and Members
of Their Families.
42. The Committee notes with concern that no information on the
situation of older women and women with disabilities was included
in the report.
43. The Committee requests the State party to provide in its next
report disaggregated data and information on the situation of
older women and women with disabilities, including with regard
to employment, education and health, and on measures taken in
this regard.
44. The Committee notes with concern that women's non-governmental
organizations (NGOs) were not consulted in the process of preparation
of the report.
45. The Committee recommends that the State party take concrete
steps to create a conducive environment for the establishment
and operation of women's NGOs and to facilitate the active participation
of civil society in the full implementation of the Convention
and the promotion of women's human rights. The Committee urges
the State party to cooperate more effectively with NGOs and women's
associations in the implementation of the Convention, including
in follow-up to the concluding comments. The Committee recommends
that the State party consult with NGOs in the preparation of the
next periodic report.
46. The Committee requests the State party to respond to the concerns
expressed in the present concluding comments in its next periodic
report under article 18 of the Convention. The Committee invites
the State party to submit its sixth periodic report, which was
due in 2002, and its seventh periodic report, due in 2006, in
a combined report in 2006.
47. Taking account of the gender dimensions of declarations, programmes
and platforms for action adopted by relevant United Nations conferences,
summits and special sessions (such as the special session of the
General Assembly to review and appraise the implementation of
the Programme of Action of the International Conference on Population
and Development (the twenty-first special session), the special
session of the General Assembly on children (the twenty-seventh
special session) and the World Conference against Racism, Racial
Discrimination, Xenophobia and Related Intolerance, and the Second
World Assembly on Ageing), the Committee requests the State party
to include information on the implementation of aspects of those
documents relating to relevant articles of the Convention in its
next periodic report.
48. The Committee requests the wide dissemination in Ethiopia
of the present concluding comments in order to make the people
of Ethiopia, in particular government administrators and politicians,
aware of the steps that have been taken to ensure de jure and
de facto equality for women and the future steps required in that
regard. It also requests the Government to continue to disseminate
widely, in particular to women's and human rights organizations,
the Convention and its Optional Protocol, the Committee's general
recommendations, the Beijing Declaration and Platform for Action
and the results of the twenty-third special session of the General
Assembly, entitled "Women 2000: gender equality, development
and peace in the twenty-first century".
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