ADDIS ABABA–Ministry of Woman, Children and Youth (MoWCY) has urged the society and other stakeholders to strengthen their collaboration on anti-sexual assaults through enhancing awareness.
Minister of Woman, Children and Youth Yalem Tsgaye told the Ethiopian Herald that her ministry and pertinent partners would strive to combat sexual abuse and would develop the awarness of the society to be part of the solution. ‘‘Domestic violence and sexual assult has been common in Ethiopia for the several years. Such abuses were aggravated by lack of education, poverty and other factors.
Thus, every stakeholder should work to alleviate these hinderances from their grassroot level,’’ she noted. Campaigns against sexual assault should be intensified in all parts of the country and in all social occasions. ‘‘We celebrate anti-sexual assault day every year.
Apart from celebrating it, we should convey important message which create impact on the public. Besides, we have to maximize our efforts to remote areas of the country. The rural people should develop awarenss on sexual assaults and its consequences,’’ Yalem insisted. For his part, Woman, Children and Youth Woman’s Mobilization and Participation Directorate Director with the Ministry, Sileshi Tadesse said that it has been working to strengthen accountability on offenders of sexual abuse.
‘‘People who were convicted of sexual assault have been facing justice. On the other hand, those who have been vurnarble for sexual attack were treated to out from their pschological trauma,’’ he underlined. According to him, community leaders, tribal leaders, religious fathers, community-based organizations, rape crisis center, government agencies, businesses organizations, campuses and individuals have to plan to get anti-sexual assaulting population as an outcomes and activities to highlight sexual violence as a public health, human rights and social justice issue and reinforce the need for prevention efforts. He added that women should be empowered economically so as to avoid dependency that could a factor for sexual assault and other human right violations.
‘‘Gender equality should be ensured. Women should be offered job opportunity. Therefore, they would be economically dependent. They would be decisive part of the society in participating in the economic and political development of their country,’’ Sileshi noted. As to him, the Ministry has been implementing the three strategical plans which are prevention, protection and provision.
Herald December 23/2018
BY MUSSA MUHAMMED
