Ethiopian women march against violence

Rural women are in particular danger of abuse

Singing and waving banners, Ethiopian women finished a week of protests against rising domestic violence at a rally in Addis Ababa's Meskel Square.

In the first public act of its kind in Ethiopia, more than 1,000 women marched to the office of Prime Minister Meles Zenawi and to parliament and delivered petitions demanding more police protection and harsher sentences for offenders.

For three evenings the women have been gathering in the huge square in the centre of Addis Ababa for a series of candlelit vigils organised by the Ethiopian Women Lawyers' Association.

The conspiracy of silence is frightening when the violence is against toddlers, and it is time that we spoke out

Konjit Fekade
Protest committee chairwoman

Organisers say they have been shocked by the increase in sex offences and the fact that they often concern very young girls with street children and young maids particularly vulnerable.

Organiser Asta Berka partly blamed a breakdown of traditional values, with people no longer bothering to intervene if they saw a girl or young boy being harassed in the street.

Oppressive values

Ms Asta said: "We have a very long history of 'good conduct', for want of a better word, but we don't see that in this case of violence against women and children.

"So why does out conduct, our good conduct, bend when it comes to women and children?"

But campaigners also want laws changed to stamp out more oppressive "traditional values".

In rural areas, girls are given in marriage at an early age because of the pressure to conform to tradition

Dr Mulu Muleta
Fistula Hospital

In some country areas, there is a tradition of marriage by abduction, with men kidnapping and raping the girls they want to marry.

In Ethiopian law, this rape is not punishable by law as long as the abductor pays the girl's family and agrees to marry her.

"The conspiracy of silence is frightening when the violence is against toddlers, and it is time that we spoke out," Konjit Fekade, chairwoman of the protest committee, told the crowd.

In Africa in general, violence against women and girls is perceived to be on the increase.

Penalty demands

The women's petition demanded that the penalty for rape be increased to a mandatory 20 years, and in exceptional cases, life in prison as opposed to the current seven to 10 years in prison.

Much abuse, particularly within families, goes unreported.

Dr Mulu Muleta of Addis Ababa's Fistula Hospital said a growing number of young rape victims were being brought in as well as child brides.

"In rural areas, girls are given in marriage at an early age because of the pressure to conform to tradition and to ensure that the girl is a virgin at marriage," she said.

"The marriages are arranged by parents or elders, and the decisions are based mainly on financial considerations."