A review of the strategic plan for a multisectoral response to violence against women and children in Ethiopia

Policy and legal analysis notes

Abstract

Violence against women and children (VAWC) in Ethiopia takes different forms and varies by region (Stavropoulou and Gupta-Archer, 2017). While on the decline, widespread practices such as early marriage and female genital mutilation/cutting (FGM/C) continue to have a negative impact on the lives of adolescent girls in Ethiopia. Domestic violence, exacerbated by social norms that allow for widespread acceptance of intimate partner violence (IPV), is another major challenge. Forced labour and trafficking of girls, internally from rural to urban centres and cross-border to countries in the Middle East, is also becoming a major issue (Jones et al., 2017).

To understand the policy context for adolescent health, psychosocial wellbeing and bodily integrity, we reviewed the Strategic Plan for an Integrated and Multi-Sectoral Response to Violence against Women and Children and Child Justice in Ethiopia (‘the Strategic Plan’) developed in 2010. This note provides a brief summary of our findings.

This is an output of the Gender and Adolescence: Global Evidence (GAGE) programme

Citation

Woldeyesus, E. K., Domingo, P. and Bekele, B. (2018) Policy And legal analysis notes: a review of the strategic plan for a multisectoral response to violence against women and children in Ethiopia. London: Gender and Adolescence: Global Evidence.

Policy And legal analysis notes: a review of the strategic plan for a multisectoral response to violence against women and children in Ethiopia

Published 1 December 2018