Female Empowerment
In the name of reproductive justice and human rights, PPGG and EECMY are committed to empowering Ethiopian women to overturn gender inequities that damage their lives, their families, and their society. Harmful Traditional PracticesGirls start life oppressed by harmful traditional practices—uvulectomy, milk-teeth extraction, rape, and food and work prohibitions. Illegal early marriage and bride abduction cut short their independence and education: 49% of Ethiopian girls marry before 18, the legal age of consent. In fact, girls as young as 9 are often subjected to arranged marriage. Although outlawed in 1994, FGM remains a horrific problem, undermining women's physical and mental health, economic power, and human rights. 62% of girls under 14 will undergo FGM. Socioeconomic DependenceLaws and traditions prevent females from controlling and owning resources, forcing their socioeconomic dependence on husbands, fathers, and sons. Women and girls are therefore the most vulnerable to hunger, exploitation, and abuse in the face of repeated cycles of drought, famine, and war. Responsible for all household chores as well as agriculture and livestock production, women feel the heaviest burden of environmental degradation and inadequate technology. They have no time to learn new income-generating skills given their critical caretaker responsibilities; most women work 15 to 18 hours each day, walking hours just to fetch food and water. Poor EducationGirls' education is acknowledged to be the most effective tool for slowing Ethiopia's population growth and accelerating its development. Educated women are economically active, marry late, and make independent reproductive health decisions. Almost 60% of Ethiopian females remain illiterate, handicapped by gender bias and poor access to primary education. Limited Legal RightsEqual constitutional rights mean little in village women's lives. About 25% of women have experienced rape; yet only 20 rape convictions are successfully prosecuted each year. And although legal grounds for abortion have been expanded, they still narrowly exclude most women faced with repeated unwanted pregnancies. Call to ActionHelp us raise the status of Ethiopian women and girls. Please support our partnerships with national and international NGOs to:
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