Ethiopian Legal Regimes Vis-À-Vis Gender Based Violence
Ethiopian Legal Regimes Vis-À-Vis Gender Based Violence

Author(s): Marew Abebe Salemot, Alemsteyahe Birhanu Behaksira
Subject(s): Gender Studies, Studies in violence and power, Family and social welfare
Published by: Transnational Press London
Keywords: Ethiopia; Legal; Gender; violence; women;
Summary/Abstract: Ethiopia, where gender based violence persistently exists, has adopted different national and ratified international legal frameworks that address specifically gender based violence. This research investigated these legal rules proclaimed and international instruments ratified by Ethiopia to address gender based violence. Accordingly, a number of national legal instruments have also been adopted including the Federal Constitution, the Revised Family Law, the Criminal Code and other relevant policies pertinent to the protection of gender based violence in Ethiopia. The Ethiopian Criminal Code did shy away from giving holistic definition and did not show the scope of the term violence against women in full spectrum. The constitution overly empowers religious and customary laws as arbiters of family matters such as divorce and inheritance. Gender-related laws adopted by Ethiopia did not have any kind of civil remedies protecting those affected by the violence. There are also neither separate domestic violence acts nor any kind of laws adopted to give specific civil remedies for the survivors/ victims. This is attributable to the absence of comprehensive anti-violence laws in Ethiopia that affects law enforcement from pursuing incidents of violence within marriage and cohabitation on the premise that there are no clear legal provisions.

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