ADDIS ABABA- Ministry of Women, Children and Youth announced that the rate of Female Genital Mutilation (FGM) and child marriage have been reducing significantly owing to communities’ attitudinal change towards those harmful practices.
Yalem Tsegaye, the Minister said that Ethiopia is committed to eliminate FGM and early marriage by 2025. And to this end, the Ministry has been undertaking a number of activities to raise the awareness of the public about the ill-effects of the practices.
According to her, because these harmful traditional practices are violations of human rights of women and children, the Ministry, in collaboration with governmental and nongovernmental organizations, justice institutions, is working to address the problems.
“We have been taking serious measures to curtail the practices not only with the aim to respect the promise that we have made at international level, but to save our generation from such harmful practices by recognizing the adverse effects of the cases.”
Mentioning that the rate of harmful practices is decreasing throughout the country significantly, the Minister stressed that Inter-Religious Council of Ethiopia has played notable roles in that regard.
“The Council has made incalculable roles towards the reduction of the harmful practices by raising the awareness of the community.” According to her, because religious institutions often play influential role in the community, working in collaboration with the Council is critical to eliminate traditional practices such as female genital mutilation which are harmful.
In addition to awareness creation, the government has facilitated a condition to bring individuals to justice participating in both practices, she furthered. Pastor Zerihun Degu, Secretary of the Council on his part said that to reduce harmful traditional practices occurred against women the council has been working in collaboration with the Norwegian Church Aid.
According to him, Inter-Religious Council of Ethiopia has been engaging in multi-sectoral activities and it is awarded at international level. As to him, as the goal of the religious institution is to make life best for all human beings and the Council condemns any harmful traditional practices occurred against women and girls.
The Ethiopian Herald April 10/2019
BY TAMERU REGASA
