HEALTH CARE FOR ETHIOPIAN WOMEN AMONG ISSUES DISCUSSED BY COMMITTEE ON ELIMINATION OF DISCRIMINATION AGAINST WOMEN
Press Release
WOM/883
HEALTH CARE FOR ETHIOPIAN WOMEN AMONG ISSUES DISCUSSED BY COMMITTEE ON ELIMINATION OF DISCRIMINATION AGAINST WOMEN
19960119 Female genital mutilation was not only a health concern but also a violation of human rights and must be addressed urgently, the Committee on the Elimination of Discrimination against Women was told this afternoon as it continued its consideration of the report of Ethiopia. The 23-member expert Committee monitors implementation of the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women.Experts asked whether the traditional practice of female genital mutilation was more prevalent in certain ethnic groups in Ethiopia than in others, and whether a woman could refuse to go through with it. An expert asked if the national committee on traditional practices had a policy on the issue and whether the Government was planning to take any measures. Experts also called attention to the problems of polygamy, lack of basic health care, and the fact that Ethiopian women lost their nationality when they married a foreigner. One expert questioned why women about to give birth were traditionally isolated and why newborns and their mothers were kept out of sunlight.
The Minister for Women's Affairs of Ethiopia, Tadelech Haile-Michael, thanked the Committee for its pertinent questions, adding that only by being frank could a solution be found to the problems faced by women in Ethiopia. The Government believed that tackling gender problems was pertinent to the development of the country as a whole and the assurance of sustainable peace, justice and equality.
Ethiopia will respond to the questions of Committee experts on Wednesday afternoon, 24 January.
The Committee will meet again at 10 a.m., Monday, 22 January, to consider the combined second and third report of Cuba.
Discussion of Report
Discussing article 9 of the Convention, which states that women shall have equal rights with men to acquire, change or retain their nationality and that of their children, and that marriage shall not force a woman to change her nationality, an expert said the report stated that an Ethiopian woman lost
her nationality when she married a foreign man. She said it was very important that a legal change take place in this regard.
Turning to article 11, which obliges States to eliminate discrimination against women in employment, and to prevent discrimination against women on the grounds of marriage or maternity, an expert requested further information on the status of women who worked in the informal sector.
On the implementation of article 12, which provides for measures to be taken to eliminate discrimination against women in the field of health care, an expert said that according to the report, most women in Ethiopia relied on traditional health care, and had no access to basic health care. Furthermore, an efficient health-care system was lacking. Lack of health care could increase the risk of HIV infection and other diseases. She asked what concrete measures were planned by the Government to increase women's access to basic health care.
Another expert asked how much of the national budget was devoted to primary health care. Regarding genital mutilation, she said the report stated that 90 per cent of women underwent the procedure. She asked if the national committee on traditional practices of Ethiopia had any policy on genital mutilation. It would be useful if Ethiopians themselves could find a solution to the problem. She asked what happened when a mother did not want to go through with the practice. Also, since Ethiopia had ratified the Convention on the Rights of the Child, did children have any rights in this regard if they did not want to go through with the practice? What measures was the Government thinking of?
Also speaking on health care, another expert noted that the report said that basic health-care programmes had minimum coverage and that most women relied on traditional healers. There was a need to create national awareness that prevention programmes were necessary. Preventive health care and education were more important than curative measures. The report also stated that the knowledge of traditional healers was disappearing since it was widely believed it was sometimes dangerous and inferior to western medicine. This statement was unfortunate. If rural people depended on traditional healers, then it was psychologically harmful for them to hear that the healers' knowledge was dangerous and inferior. In her country, Ghana, there were many herbal remedies which had proved to be quite effective. Perhaps traditional
Women Anti-Discrimination Committee - 3 - Press Release WOM/883 293rd Meeting (PM) 19 January 1996
healers could be trained so that their services could become even more effective.
Regarding genital mutilation, the expert said she had attended a conference on traditional practices in Addis Ababa, following the 1994 International Conference on Population and Development in Cairo. She proposed that the outcomes of this and similar conferences be put to use. Female genital mutilation was both a health concern and a human rights violation and it must be addressed urgently. The report also mentioned the practice of polygamy, which also must be dealt with because it had harmful effects. It was difficult to control the spread of AIDS without dealing with polygamy. Awareness should be raised on the issue, followed by legal measures.
Another expert requested more information on birth control and family planning and programmes to combat AIDS and other sexually transmitted diseases. She also wondered about the steps being taken to prevent early marriages.
Another expert wanted to know why women were required to give birth alone and why mothers and newborns were kept away from sunlight. Abortion was not legal in Ethiopia but its practice was common. That meant that most of the abortions were conducted in unhygienic circumstances. Perhaps that was one of the reasons for the high mortality rate of women in the country, she said.
The necessity of sensitizing police to violence against women had been recognized in the report, an expert said. Health-care personnel also ought to be sensitized to such violence. She stressed the need for focusing attention on the health and well being of infant girls. The practice of genital mutilation was carried out by women. Therefore, it was necessary to hear from them about the reasons for the continuation of the practice. Another expert wondered if awareness about genital mutilation was included in the training for traditional health-care personnel.
On article 14, which takes account of the particular problems of rural women and spells out their rights in the economic and social areas, an expert wanted to know if women had right to land and credit.
Another expert asked about the resettlement policy of the Government for displaced persons, especially women. She wondered whether resettlement was beneficial or harmful to women. Amnesty International had indicated that the Transitional Government had failed to check human rights violations in the country and an extrajudicial system seemed to have emerged, an expert said. She sought clarification from the Minister.
On article 16, which spells out the equality of women's rights in matters relating to marriage and family relations, an expert wondered whether
Women Anti-Discrimination Committee - 4 - Press Release WOM/883 293rd Meeting (PM) 19 January 1996
the system providing for the selection of an arbiter by spouses in the case of a divorce, was an alternative to the court system.
Another expert asked whether women were rejected by their husbands in case they were raped. She also wanted to know about the punishment for rapists. Were distinctions made in punishment depending upon the age and status of the raped woman? And what happened to children born of rape?
Another expert said quite a few women according to the report seemed to be aware about contraception, yet families were large. Was there a cultural preference for large families? Were contraceptives not easily available? She also wanted to know if polygamy was still practised.
The acknowledgement of the equality of spouses in the Constitution of Ethiopia was lauded by an expert. She wondered if the courts of law had noted and implemented such equality in their decisions.
Statement by Ethiopian Minister
TADELECH HAILE-MICHAEL, Minister for Women's Affairs of Ethiopia, thanked the Committee and its members for raising pertinent questions and concerns. If someone was suffering from a malady, it had to be diagnosed if a solution was to be found. Only by being frank, could a solution be found to women's problems in Ethiopia. The Government believed that tackling gender problems was pertinent to the development of the country as a whole and the assurance of sustainable peace, justice and equality.
Ethiopian women knew about violations of human rights, she said. The Government wanted to improve the situation of its people and promote co- existence between different ethnic groups. The Government did not accept any kind of discrimination, whether based on sex, religion or ethnicity. That was why Ethiopia had begun to accept the reality of its diversity. If it wanted to ensure development and guarantee the sustainability of peace, it had to recognize the partnership of men and women, different ethnic groups and different political groups. Therefore, the Government would make an effort to respond to all questions raised by Committee members.
her nationality, an expert said the report stated that an Ethiopian woman lost her nationality when she married a foreign man. She said it was very important that a legal change take place in this regard.
Turning to article 11, which obliges States to eliminate discrimination against women in employment, and to prevent discrimination against women on the grounds of marriage or maternity, an expert requested further information on the status of women who worked in the informal sector.
Women Anti-Discrimination Committee - 5 - Press Release WOM/883 293rd Meeting (PM) 19 January 1996
On the implementation of article 12, which provides for measures to be taken to eliminate discrimination against women in the field of health care, an expert said that according to the report, most women in Ethiopia relied on traditional health care, and had no access to basic health care. Furthermore, an efficient health-care system was lacking. Lack of health care could increase the risk of HIV infection and other diseases. She asked what concrete measures were planned by the Government to increase women's access to basic health care.
Another expert asked how much of the national budget was devoted to primary health care. Regarding genital mutilation, she said the report stated that 90 per cent of women underwent the procedure. She asked if the national committee on traditional practices of Ethiopia had any policy on genital mutilation. It would be useful if Ethiopians themselves could find a solution to the problem. She asked what happened when a mother did not want to go through with the practice. Also, since Ethiopia had ratified the Convention on the Rights of the Child, did children have any rights in this regard if they did not want to go through with the practice? What measures was the Government thinking of?
Also speaking on health care, another expert noted that the report said that basic health-care programmes had minimum coverage and that most women relied on traditional healers. There was a need to create national awareness that prevention programmes were necessary. Preventive health care and education were more important than curative measures. The report also stated that the knowledge of traditional healers was disappearing since it was widely believed it was sometimes dangerous and inferior to western medicine. This statement was unfortunate. If rural people depended on traditional healers, then it was psychologically harmful for them to hear that the healers' knowledge was dangerous and inferior. In her country, Ghana, there were many herbal remedies which had proved to be quite effective. Perhaps traditional healers could be trained so that their services could become even more effective.
Regarding genital mutilation, the expert said she had attended a conference on traditional practices in Addis Ababa, following the 1994 International Conference on Population and Development in Cairo. She proposed that the outcomes of this and similar conferences be put to use. Female genital mutilation was both a health concern and a human rights violation and it must be addressed urgently. The report also mentioned the practice of polygamy, which also must be dealt with because it had harmful effects. It was difficult to control the spread of AIDS without dealing with polygamy. Awareness should be raised on the issue, followed by legal measures.
Women Anti-Discrimination Committee - 6 - Press Release WOM/883 293rd Meeting (PM) 19 January 1996
Another expert requested more information on birth control and family planning and programmes to combat AIDS and other sexually transmitted diseases. She also wondered about the steps being taken to prevent early marriages.
Another expert wanted to know why women were required to give birth alone and why mothers and newborns were kept away from sunlight. Abortion was not legal in Ethiopia but its practice was common. That meant that most of the abortions were conducted in unhygienic circumstances. Perhaps that was one of the reasons for the high mortality rate of women in the country, she said.
The necessity of sensitizing police to violence against women had been recognized in the report, an expert said. Health-care personnel also ought to be sensitized to such violence. She stressed the need for focusing attention on the health and well being of infant girls. The practice of genital mutilation was carried out by women. Therefore, it was necessary to hear from them about the reasons for the continuation of the practice. Another expert wondered if awareness about genital mutilation was included in the training for traditional health-care personnel.
On article 14, which takes account of the particular problems of rural women and spells out their rights in the economic and social areas, an expert wanted to know if women had right to land and credit.
Another expert asked about the resettlement policy of the Government for displaced persons, especially women. She wondered whether the resettlement was beneficial or harmful to women. Amnesty International had indicated that the Transitional Government had failed to check human rights violations in the country and an extrajudicial system seemed to have emerged, an expert said. She sought clarification from the Minister.
On article 16, which spells out the equality of women's rights in matters relating to marriage and family relations, an expert wondered whether the system providing for the selection of an arbiter by spouses in the case of a divorce, was an alternative to the court system.
Another expert asked whether women were rejected by their husbands in case they were raped. She also wanted to know about the punishment for rapists. Were distinctions made in punishment depending upon the age and status of the raped woman? And what happened to children born of rape?
Another expert said quite a few women according to the report seemed to be aware about contraception, yet families were large. Was there a cultural preference for large families? Were contraceptives not easily available? She also wanted to know if polygamy was still practised.
Women Anti-Discrimination Committee - 7 - Press Release WOM/883 293rd Meeting (PM) 19 January 1996
The acknowledgement of the equality of spouses in the Constitution of Ethiopia was lauded by an expert. She wondered if the courts of law had noted and implemented such equality in their decisions.
Statement by Ethiopian Minister
TADELECH HAILE-MICHAEL, Minister for Women's Affairs of Ethiopia thanked the Committee and its members for raising pertinent questions and concerns. If someone was suffering from a malady, it had to be diagnosed if a solution was to be found. Only by being frank, could a solution be found to women's problems in Ethiopia. The Government believed that tackling gender problems was pertinent to the development of the country as a whole and the assurance of sustainable peace, justice and equality.
Ethiopian women knew about violations of human rights, she said. The Government wanted to improve the situation of its people and promote co- existence between different ethnic groups. The Government did not accept any kind of discrimination, whether based on sex, religion or ethnicity. That was why Ethiopia had begun to accept the reality of its diversity. If it wanted to ensure development and guarantee the sustainability of peace, it had to recognize the partnership of men and women, different ethnic groups and different political groups. Therefore, the Government would make an effort to respond to all questions raised by Committee members.
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