ADDIS ABABA – Ministry of Women, Child and Youth announced that the road map which aimed at empowering women would play key role in ending Female Genital Mutilation and Early Marriage.
The Ministry’s Public Relations Assistant Head Alemayehu Mam said that FGM and early marriage are parts of violation of human right. For this reason, the Ministry has gave special emphasizes to address the problem through preparing legal frameworks. Though FGM and early marriage have been reduced at alarming rate, the Ministry is pushing further to halt such harmful practices preparing road map, he said.
He noted that through preparing the road map and other legal frameworks, the government has been working aggressively to realize the 2014 London Agreement. He underscored that to achieve the goal, five strategies are identified: Empowering women, mobilizing the community, providing effective service, creating conducive environment to create access to information and evaluating and following gender analysis.
To put into effect the road map, three billion Birr is needed in five years. Various regional states, Ministries and international organization have promised to work for its implementation, he added. For her part, Women, Child and Youth Minister, Yalem Tsegay said that the road map is instrumental to address harmful practices against women and children. It helps the Ministry to identify challenges and to seek solution.
She noted that the road map is useful to implement international agreement that the country signed to protect the right of women and children. She also said, the road map is vital to improve performances and fill gaps. “We take measures to reduce harmful traditional practices not only to protect the promise that we signed at international level but, to save our generation from harmful traditional practice.”
According to her, since this harmful practices are violation of human rights, the Ministry has gave special emphasizes on addressing the problem working with stakeholders. As part of its vision to halt the problem, the Ministry has been undertaking awareness creation measurements in various social classes, she added. She said as religious institutions are closer to the community they have an advantage to convey the message on the impacts of traditional harmful practices.
She said the Inter-Religious Council of Ethiopia is playing a significant role in this regard. She underscored that the Council has played key role through creating awareness in the community to reduce early marriage and FGM. She noted that harmful traditional practices have been causing physical, social and psychologically challenges to the victim. For this matter, all members of the society have to act with one heart to bring an end to the problem.
Council Secretary, Pastor Zerihun Degu alsot said that to reduce harmful traditional practices against women the council has been working collaboratively with various stakeholders. Norway Church Aid is one of them. He said religious institutions have a responsibility to create awareness among the society. They have to condemn all forms of traditional harmful practices.
The Ethiopian Herald, August 21/2019
BY TAMERU REGASA
